A Masquerade for Padme
by Cmdr. Gabe E
Summary: Chancellor Palpatine had seen Padme grow up into a beautiful young woman right before his very eyes. His desire for her had always been a secret…Until he finally decides to lure her into his venomous grasp by using the person she loves the most…Anakin.
1. Revelations

A Masquerade for Padme

Chancellor Palpatine had seen Padme grow up into a beautiful young woman right before his very eyes. His desire for her had always been a secret…Until he finally decides to lure her into his venomous grasp by using the person she loves the most…Anakin.

x x x x x x

Chapter 1: Revelation

The war was raging…The Separatists vs. The Republic. Two different sides of the same coin, both fighting a war in which only one can be the victor. In such a war, there are main players, people who decide what must be said and what must be done. And at that very moment, those to whom the outcome laid in the side of the Republic, were gathered in the office of Chancellor Palpatine, the grandioso puppet master.

"With all due respect, Chancellor…The war must come to an end." Said Senator Amidala. She sat across the Chancellor's desk with Bail and Mon Mothma. "The last thing we need right now is more blood shed. We must speak with the Separatists --- Negotiate with them if we can. It is not yet too late, Chancellor."

Palpatine sat on his chair, hands clasped together on the table. He looked at Padme with his pretentiously kind blue eyes as if he truly were concerned about her principles. After all, he had to play the role of the sickeningly kind and humble Chancellor Palpatine. He had been doing so far the past few decades.

His entire life as the Nubian politician, Palpatine, was nothing but a game, a masquerade, a show...something that would soon lead him to his true intentions --- to destroy all Jedis and restore the Sith's reign on the galaxy. Yes. That time has almost come. He was the ring leader now, and they, his unsuspecting puppets, pawns to his game of intergalactic chess. The only thing he had to do now, was to continue to pretend.

Though, there was one thing that remained true during his main political reign…one thing that continued to tug at the remaining strand of humanity that was left in the darkness of his existence…and that one thing was his growing fascination with that girl…The girl who was now counter-acting his plan. There she was, sitting before him, explaining her side, and oblivious to the ever growing fascination that he had for her.

His icy blues eyes observed her every move. He watched her like an obsessed lover. His eyes trailed over hers, examining them as they sparkled against the light that shone in from his clear windows. He watched as every syllable from every word she spoke escaped from her reddish lips. Oh those lips…The lips that have been unfairly claimed by his future apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, the boy who had 'married' her.

How ironic…the boy he wanted the most, was the one who had taken the one, true, living thing that HE truly loved the most. Love was almost too tame a word. The only person he had ever truly 'desired'. Irony at its best…and a punishment he truly deserved.

He continued to tell himself that Padme did not deserve that boy…She was a brilliant mind with a strong spirit, unwavering in her beliefs and vocal about her concerns. In fact, it wasn't her physical beauty that lured him to her...If he had grown blind, he would still 'love' her. He found her physical beauty nothing but an outlet for the beauty that blossomed within.

It was really her spirit, her essence, her love for life that seduced him. She was the other side of his coin. She embodied the light side of himself. Within her was the light that his dark existence would never be able to touch. Funny, he thought…The light seducing the dark. Another example of irony in his life.

The covert news of Anakin and Padme's marriage actually shook him when he first heard of it. His initial thoughts were… 'How dare that boy claim Padme for himself? How dare he own her?'

When in fact, it was 'him', the former Senator Palpatine, who had been with her since the beginning. He had been her political advisor. He had been her confidant. He had been her 'friend'. He was there with her in those downtrodden times when no one else was. Those were the only true things in the political plan he had chosen. And that was why he honestly served her…not the Republic…Just her…Just Padme. Damn the Republic. Damn it all to hell. Padme was the only truth in all the lies.

Unfortunately for him, his fascination for her was the one thing he never foresaw.

/ "What have you gotten yourself into, Padme? Why did you have to get involved?" / He thought as he continued to 'pretend' to hear out her concerns.

She wasn't originally a part of the plan he had weaved. In fact, he had tried, in different ways, to deviate her from the path where the railroad track of his empire was to be built on. But now, here she was, soon to be run over by the train itself. His plan, his revenge was only supposed to involve The Chosen One, and the Jedis.

Why couldn't just Padme stay on the sideline and watch? Why did she have to be in the eye of the storm? Why couldn't she have just given up her Senatorial position and lived a peaceful life with her family in Naboo? He, too, was Nubian. When he becomes emperor, he would protect his planet…protect her and the people she cared for.

"What say you, Chancellor?" She asked, pleading as she looked at him.

"She is right, Chancellor Palpatine. We must try and negotiate with Count Dooku." Said Bail. "This war has gone too far to the point that it's not just bringing chaos to the galaxy, but it's eating away the stability of our own Republic too. If the war continues, I'm afraid that the Republic we are serving, might crumble right under our very feet."

"You have been given the powers to stop the war when the right time comes, Chancellor." Added the young and vigorous Mon Mothma. "The emergency power is in your hands. Use it to stop the war, or at least suppress it."

Palpatine just gave them a faint and fake smile. "I will try my best." He said calmly, looking like a kind, wise, old man. "But remember, my friends, that there are sacrifices that must be made. And to achieve the peace that you want, we will have to take certain risks. Not all actions can be left unpaid and unaccounted for."

He momentarily glanced at Padme. And the fact hit him. She was his risk. She was his payment. She was the person that he had to sacrifice for the grand plan that he, himself, had conceived.

x x x x x x

TBC…

Please do review :D! I'm really not sure if anyone would be interested in such a "weird" story, but here it is anyway :D! Reviews would definitely be appreciated !

PS: I HATE Palpatine :P! And this fanfic is a testament to how twisted and eeevil and manipulative he really is. That basturd!


	2. The Key to her Soul

Agny, Kittenmommy, Bluesparx, Martiangal, SelinaEnriquez Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews :D! Aaah! I even have FIGSers in the house :D! w00t! Anywayz, here's chapter 2 :D! I hope you guys and gals like it :D!

(btw, I really hate palpy. I do :P! and that's that! I rest my case! LOL)

Chapter 2: The key to her soul

"We understand, Chancellor." Replied Padme. "We know that there are risks to be taken and sacrifices to be made, but if we act now, we might not have to take so many. We are fighting for peace, Chancellor Palpatine…not fighting to win a nameless war that has taken so many lives." Her emotions poured out through her voice.

Padme couldn't help but feel that the Chancellor was not taking their suggestions seriously. In fact, he seemed reluctant to end the war. It was like he didn't even care. If the Chancellor truly wanted the peace that she, Mothma, and Bail wanted, then he could have already taken the necessary actions to end it months ago.

Palpatine's subconscious reached out and touched the ripples of Padme's thoughts. Ah, to read minds…Another ability that the Siths had that those Jedis were void of.

/ "If only I could, Padme…If only…" / Palpatine's thoughts trailed away. But of course, she did not hear him. / "I've gone too far down a path where there is no way to go but forward, a race where I am left with no choice but to win --- win no matter what the cost. We each have our own destinies, my dear…And apparently, this is mine. This is what I had been bred to do. This is what I must do as the only remaining Sith in existence --- To live my life in darkness and restore our reign in the galaxy. I did not choose this destiny, Padme. This destiny had chosen me. ME." /

His light blue eyes settled on her brown ones. And time seemed to move by slowly as he let himself wallow in them for that brief and fleeting moment.

/ "And that's why I fear you, Padme. That's why I am scared of you. That's why I shy away whenever you look at me in the way you usually do. That's why I slowly recoil whenever you place a hand over my arm during those times so long ago when you needed someone to hold on to. I fear you, because you, you are the only one with the power strong enough to make me doubt the life I had led. You are the only one who can make me give it all up. Just say the words…Love me, love me as I have loved you all these years and I'll lay it all down at your feet. All of it. Everything." /

He suddenly noticed that his fixed stare on Padme's eyes had lasted longer than it should have. So he quickly looked away and focused his attention on Bail and Mon Mothma…He looked away and deprived himself of her beauty, as he had always done for the past decade.

Padme's delicate hands slightly pressed against the armrests of her seat, and she furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't want the others to know, but just a second ago, she felt as if someone was trying to reach out to her, to whisper to her…like a gentle, mysterious voice at the back of her head. It swirled in her brain like smooth liquid and disappeared right before she could understand what it was trying to say.

Then she composed herself and continued to listen to the exchanges of Bail and the Chancellor. Now was not the time to concern one's self with mysterious voices and imaginary whispers. Now was the time to fight for peace. It was probably nothing. Might have just been her mind playing tricks on her.

After all, she had been stressed for the past couple of weeks. She had done nothing but attend endless meetings and arrange deals and treaties with planets near and far. They were in a full scale war, and at such times, the common people needed people like her to make it appear as if everything was still okay. Being the respected former Queen of Naboo also made the pressure harder, and the standards, higher.

Bail, Mon Mothma, and the Chancellor continued to converse about their plans to end the war. But Padme, she was more concerned about someone else at the moment. She stared out the window, at the vastness of Coruscant, and thought about him…Anakin. And the thought of him alone drowned out the reality of the outside world.

Oh how she wished she were with him again, back in his arms where she felt safe and sound, back in his embrace where everything felt so right, even when their love was so wrong. She hadn't seen him for months. The last time she heard from him was when he and Obi-Wan were on their way to the Outer Rim. And that was almost a year ago.

/ "I need you, Ani." / She thought to herself. / "I miss you." /

She couldn't wait to get out of the Chancellor's office and back to her apartment where she can just be herself and linger in Anakin's faint essence. The apartment still smelled of him. That scent that was of Anakin's alone. Even his pillow was still warm, as if he had just slept on it the night before…She never even bothered to have its soft and silken casing washed. She would always hold it close at night and wish for his safe return.

Palpatine, on the other hand, continued to "converse" with Mothma and Bail. He found the two relentless, fighting a war that they would eventually lose, brought upon by his own machinations. But then, at the same time, he listened, but not to them --- he was listening to Padme's thoughts. He picked at them one by one, holding each of them, her dreams and feelings for Anakin, in the hand of his mind. And in his mind he visualized them, crafted them as if they were his own. He painted them within his own brain like a masterpiece, right down to the last detail.

He couldn't believe how Padme's mind flowed like a fountain at that very moment. He felt as if he was drowning in them. He feasted on them like an amorous vampire. He felt like he was holding Padme's heart and soul, her dreams and fears, in his very hand.

Through Padme's thoughts, Palpatine saw Anakin and Padme's first kiss…He saw the first time Anakin held her hand. He saw the first night when Anakin and Padme slept together at her luxurious apartment in Coruscant. He saw her running her hands all over Anakin's bare skin. He was seeing it all…Each and every thought was about Anakin, and it was gutting at the flesh of his non-existent heart...

And yet there he was, still silently observing and hunting every fiber of her thought like a hungry predator, mentally grabbing them, like a child would catch butterflies. And the more he saw, the more he felt himself gaining access to Padme's heart, Padme's soul, as if it were a gate that could readily be opened by a key. And that key…

A solid vision of Anakin formed in his mind.

Was none other than that boy…the young Skywalker.

Yes…Anakin was the key to Padme's soul. He was the key to her heart.

It was Anakin. She loved him THAT much. He --- was the embodiment of her love. He was the only one who could gain access to her soul.

"Thank you for your time, chancellor." Said Bail.

Padme heard those words and immediately snapped awake from her trance. She quickly turned her attention to Bail and Mon Mothma, not wanting to give them the impression that she was thinking about something else, thinking about Anakin, while they were discussing matters that concerned the galaxy.

How could she have ever let her mind drift away like that? She found it irresponsible on her part. Was she truly that stressed? Or perhaps, she just missed him too much. Oh what she would give to feel and see her Anakin again.

She looked at the Chancellor, smiled, and nodded her head. "We are looking forward to another meeting soon, Chancellor. We would like to have as much time with you as we can before the situation escalates. The sooner we can finalize our plans for this war, the better." She said. "I just hope that next time, we won't be referring to it as a 'war', but more of a misunderstanding between us and the Separatists."

Then for a split-second, she suddenly noticed a glimmer in the Chancellor's eye. She felt as if he knew everything there was to know about her. She felt as if he was reading her mind, feeling her thoughts, comprehending her heart, and it made her feel uncomfortable.

She smiled inwards and immediately banished the ridiculous notion from her head. It was probably her mind and senses playing tricks on her again. After all, day after day of endless meetings, stressful discussions, and sleepless nights, with the galaxy hanging on the balance, would do that to any person --- even if that person had been queen and a senator. She definitely deserved a much needed rest.

Palpatine stood up and smiled, returning the one that Padme had given him earlier. "And I am looking forward to our next meeting too, Senator Amidala. I, too, hope that we can find a resolution to this long term misunderstanding soon." He gave her a slight bow.

He looked at Bail and Mon Mothma and bowed to them too, just for show. Bail and Mothma bowed back and turned to exit the Chancellor's office. They were followed by Padme.

Palpatine watched as Padme followed her companions. His light blue eyes followed her every step. Oh how he had memorized the graceful way she walked --- how the base of her traditionally long and flowing skirts touched her feet. He had walked by her side since the day she had been elected queen. But it wasn't in those moments of close encounters when he could truly marvel at the beauty of her soul.

These --- these were the only times wherein he could really stare at her and watch her...When she's not looking at his direction…when she's far away…when she's out of his reach. For he knew that if she saw the way he really looked at her, if she saw the way his eyes tried to claim her, she would know how he truly felt…she would feel it.

He couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

Decades of hiding his true identity from the galaxy and from the Jedis, and he couldn't even hide a simple feeling of deep fascination for a single Nubian girl. That notion alone made him want to laugh and cry inside. And it wasn't the power of the dark side that was driving him insane…

No.

The power of the dark side was nothing compared to the power that had him by the neck. It was the power that that 'girl' had over him.

Palpatine continued to stare at Padme as she followed Mothma and Bail to the door. And when she was about to disappear from his line of sight, his mind cried out to the force, sending ripples strong enough to make it seem like a real voice.

/ "Stay." / His mind said.

Then the ripples disappeared, and the force calmed down…But his thoughts continued to flow. / "Stay here…With me…Forever. Stay with me --- and you won't have to become the sacrificial lamb to the plan that I, myself, am about to execute." /

Padme suddenly furrowed her eyebrows and stopped where she stood. Bail and Mon Mothma had already left, leaving her alone in the office with the Chancellor. She pursed her lips and looked around. There it was --- that voice again --- the voice that was trying to call out to her earlier. And this time, she actually understood it.

It asked her to stay. No. It told her to stay.

She turned around and looked at the Chancellor. Her face expressed a hint of doubt and confusion. "Did you say something, Chancellor?" She asked. After all, he was the only one in the room when she heard the voice. It could have been him or her, or no one else.

"Say something?" Palpatine asked, looking a bit flustered. He clasped his hands together in the way he usually does and sat back down on his chair. A soft smile curled up the corners of his thin lips. "I'm sorry, Padme, but I believe you are mistaken. I haven't said anything, to you or anyone else, for that matter."

Padme suddenly felt ridiculous, dragging the Chancellor into the games that her tired and stressed mind was playing on her.

"I'm sorry, Chancellor." She replied, smiling. "I…I just heard a voice. But…It was nothing. I probably just need a little rest. That's all." She gave him a small and quick nod and immediately left the room.

x x x x x x

TBC :D!


	3. Musings of a Sith Lord

Kittenmommy, Selina Enriquez, BlueSparx, Snow Lepord You each get a super star destroyer for the reviews :D! Thank you so much, everyone :D!

Chapter 3: Musings of a Sith Lord

Once Padme was out of his office, Palpatine exhaustingly leaned back against his chair. His chest rose up and down as he breathed and exhaled. He looked tired, and somewhat worried. He closed his eyes and calmed himself, trying to calm his presence in the force.

He couldn't help but admit how close he had gotten to accidentally revealing his presence in Coruscant. He practically screamed in the force, sending his voice to the entity that connected each and every Jedi in the galaxy. Even Padme almost 'heard' him. He was careless, and he was never careless. He never even allowed himself to channel or use the force whenever he donned his black robes as Darth Sidious. Or at least, channel it strong enough or long enough to alert those blinded Jedi.

His eyes opened and he looked at the door where Padme had just exited. He could still remember how she apologized to him about 'the voice' --- the transcendental voice that called out to her which was none other than his. He didn't even realize that he had called out to her until he felt the force tremble with his very own presence.

/ "Oh Padme…Look at what you've done to me." /

He slowly rose from his seat and stood before the huge glass window that exposed the eternally busy city of Coruscant. He placed his aging hands behind his back and marveled at the city the lay before his feet. This was the city that will soon become the home of his Empire, the city that was oblivious to its fate.

Hundreds of personal speeders and transport ships zoomed before his very eyes. Aerial traffic filled the atmosphere of Coruscant's invisible streets. Thousands of people in those vehicles, and even more, hidden within those buildings, continued their everyday lives, not knowing that the Chancellor they have voted and trusted all these years was the living darkness that was about to engulf them in the iron grip of his empire.

The galaxy will soon be his. All will bow down to his feet. Everyone will know his name and cower at his presence. He will have power…Unlimited power. He will finally do what no other Sith was able to do --- Destroy the Jedi, and reclaim the Sith's rightful place in the galaxy. He will lead a new era, a new time, wherein he, he will be the ruler of all.

Emperor Palpatine, ruler of the galaxy. Emperor Palpatine, second to none.

But at what price?

He breathed in and exhaled, causing his chest and shoulders to rise and fall. His eyes softened, as if, for the very first time, he wasn't thinking about the republic, or the Separatists, or the Sith, or the Jedis, or the next move that he had to make in his grand game of chess. At this moment, he was just a man, a man made of flesh and blood…A man whose entire life had been filled with eternal darkness.

He let his hands fall to his sides and he looked at the horizon. Soon, after decades of climbing up the ladder of power, after years and years of deceits and lies, he will finally be able to fulfill the destiny that was set upon him by fate. He could already taste the victory on his lips. He could already envision himself seated upon the Emperor's throne.

But those thoughts didn't make him smile.

Because he knew, that when that time comes, she will die. Padme will die.

The only person he had ever loved, the only person who was able to give his life a glimmer of light, will die. She will die because of him. She will die in his name. She will die because of the destiny that he had to fulfill. There was no other way. Her death was a requirement, a necessity, for his plans to come into fruition. And when she dies, the only flicker of light that had ever burned in his heart will die along with her.

Padme would have to fall for his empire to rise. Her death will be his bridge to the golden medal. He would have to step over her corpse to accomplish his life-long goal.

The thought of it all suddenly made his chest tighten and his throat taut. And for a split-second there, he felt as if he, the Dark Lord of the Sith who was deemed invincible and all-powerful by even the most skillful of Jedi Masters, could not breathe. He felt like his heart had stopped beating and his body had stopped functioning. He felt as if he had just died, right then and there, before the city that will soon declare him emperor.

/ "Padme…" / Her name echoed in his mind. And it brought him so much pain.

Why? Why did he have to gain it all and lose the only thing that mattered to him? Was it all worth it? To have the entire galaxy on the palm of his hand, but not have her there?

The galaxy, no matter how vast or rich or endless it was, would be nothing without her.

He would become the Emperor of a world that meant nothing to him.

Everything would be meaningless, because no matter how much he denied it to the dark side of himself, he loved. He had learned to love.

He loved Padme, only Padme, and he loved her above all. He loved her the most. He loved her more than power, or wealth --- more than the very thing that he had worked so long to achieve. His love for her had started out as nothing but a mere admiration for the fire and beauty that burned within her soul…but then it grew and blossomed into a rose of crimson red until it had turned into the love that he felt for her now.

He would kill a thousand Jedi and destroy a million planets if that was what it would take to have her love in return. But it seemed that he didn't love her enough to give up his plan. He could not love her enough to spare her from her dark fate. If only he could, but Darth Sidious was already so close to the end of the game.

Palpatine closed his eyes and bowed his head down. A faint gasp escaped from his lips. Was he about to shed a tear?

No.

The Dark Lord of the Sith would never shed a tear, not for himself or for anyone else. Tears were a sign of weakness, of vulnerability. And he should have no weaknesses. He should have no vulnerabilities. He should be invincible, unbeatable.

The Dark Lord of the Sith serves the dark side of himself. He has no heart, no soul. No place for fear. No place for love. The only thing he should want --- is power --- power beyond comprehension…The power to bend the force and the galaxy to his will.

But then, what would he do with that power? That power won't give him Padme. That power won't make her love him. In fact, that power will kill her. It will kill the fire that burned within the beauty of her soul. That power will take her away from him forever.

He brought his hands upon his face and clenched his aching head. He felt so confused, so lost, so helpless. To pit his destiny against his heart was unjust. To choose between his fate and his love was unfair. And the fact that he, himself, was the one who was going to lead the dagger into her heart was what made his insides writhe in agony.

Why did it have to be Padme? Why did she have to be his sacrifice? How could the only love of his life be the price that he had to pay? Was this just a simple twist of fate, or was this the punishment that had to go with his glory?

The Chancellor, out of utter confusion and rage, suddenly gave out a brief cry of pain that echoed in the domed structure of his office. It was all too much to bear.

To lose her forever, and not even have a taste of her love made the pain even rawer. It made the pain of losing her dig deep into his bones. She was going to die, be gone forever, and he wouldn't even feel what it was like to be loved by her in the way that he wanted to. Such were the pains of 'love'…Such were its consequences.

If only…If only he could taste, even just an ounce of her passion before her story ends. If only he could make her look at him in the way she does young Skywalker. The thought of using the dark side of the force to control her feelings suddenly came into his mind, but if he did that, there would be no Padme there --- just an empty shell of the dark side's power, embodied by the beauty of her flesh.

If only he had won her heart instead of that Anakin. But that boy had her soul now. He had become her other half. Oh what he would give to be Anakin…To feel Padme's arms wrapped around him every night, to feel her lips against his, to hear her pledging her love undying love to him everyday. If he had that, he'd give it all up.

Then his eyes widened, and his face perked up, as if he just saw a glimmer of light from afar. He suddenly remembered his encounter with Padme's thoughts earlier during their meeting. He remembered seeing her visions of her with her husband, Anakin.

He remembered holding onto each and every solid thought that echoed from her mind, and how he etched and painted them all in his brain. But most of all, he remembered how it felt like when he touched her visions of Anakin. He felt as if he was holding her very heart in his hand, ready to be molded and controlled and squeezed according to his will.

That was his answer. The key to her heart was his answer. Anakin was his answer. Anakin will give him the access to her heart. It was through Anakin and Anakin alone that he would be able to feel the only love he had ever hungered for.

Anakin will lead Padme to him. Anakin will make her love him.

A sly smile slowly curled up the corner of Palpatine's thin lips, and the glow of the setting sun brought a glint in his light blue eyes. Though he remained silent as he continued to stare at the city, the expression on his face showed that there was something more, something else, going on under that calm and quiet exterior.

The smile on his face widened, and the blueness of his eyes dimmed. But the smile was not that of happiness. It was the smile of a madman who had a secret hidden within the deep recesses of his complicated mind. He clasped his hands behind his back and turned away from the window. The gloominess of his office cast a shadow upon the contour of his visage, outlining the cunning smile and ominous stare of the Sith Lord.

He couldn't wait for the sun to set.

For tonight, Padme will be his.

He will claim her, as none other than Anakin Skywalker.

He walked to the inner sanctions of his office and disappeared within the shadows.

"Tonight, she will be mine. And I --- will be hers."

x x x x x x

TBC


	4. Tonight

Tsunami Snake (aah! You found it! LOL), ShamansBlade, Ataris, BlueSparx and Abigail33, I thank thee all for thy reviews :D! This fanfic would be nothing without you readers :D! Anyway, without further ado, I bring you chapter 4 :D! I hope you enjoy it :D!

Chapter 4: Tonight

It had already been more or less two hours since he had conceived the risky plan that would make Padme his. And for that past two hours he had done nothing but think of what he was about to do that night. He was about to do the unthinkable. He was about to get himself into a situation that even he found rather unorthodox, and dangerous.

Ah, the things he would do to gain Padme's love, even if it would only last for a single night, a single moment, a single occurrence, even if it wasn't going to be him that she was going to see. He was willing to put himself in jeopardy just to feel what it was like to be loved by her, and to finally express the love that he had kept from her all these years...The love that will die together with her, when the time comes.

He continued to sit on the velvet covered armchair that was right next to the window of his bed chamber. The remaining light of the dimming sky shone through the window and reflected against his pale and aging face and on the smooth and transparent half-filled wineglass that he slowly twirled in his hand. He had been in seclusion within his personal quarters since the meeting. This was the only place in Coruscant where he could be himself, away from the view of the public that he was pretending to serve.

He slowly brought the rim of the wineglass against his lips and tilted it upwards, allowing the smooth and delicate liquid to flow into his mouth. He tasted its sweet and sour flavor as it touched his tongue and thought of what Padme's lips would taste like against his. It was definitely going to be better than the expensive wine that he was drinking right now. It was going to be better than anything he had ever tasted.

A deviant smile spread across his moist lips at the thought of it.

Palpatine brought the wineglass down and gently set it upon the small coffee table right next to him. He slowly stood up and looked at the city outside the transparent glass window. The traffic was still heavy, and the buildings were now emitting lights of different shapes, sizes and colors…lights that could never be seen during daytime.

Coruscant was truly a city that refused to sleep. In fact, it seemed to come alive in the darkness, like a vampire rising to bask in the light of the moon. It was also at night when the twisted and corrupt beings of Coruscant would come out of their hiding and involve themselves in their usual immoral activities…because the darkness could hide them.

In a way, the city reminded him of himself. It reminded him that the darkness was where he truly belonged, because that was where his true identity lay. That was where he was destined to remain. And tonight, in the absence of the sun, he will come out of his hiding and reveal himself to Padme. He would reveal his love for her.

He will touch her with his fingers, kiss her with his lips, love her in the dark where it would only be him and her, but she would not see him…She would see another. Tonight, he will become Anakin Skywalker. He will twist her mind and cloud her senses so that it was Anakin that she would see…So that it was Anakin that she would touch.

Tonight, he will give her Anakin. He will become her husband and she will become his wife. He will finally have something that he truly wanted...Something that fate hadn't forced upon him. Tonight, he will satisfy the cravings of his heart for a change.

He turned away from the window and walked to the table in the middle of his extravagant room. On the table was a small device. It was the device that he used it to call on his personal aides and deliver messages to them. He picked it up and pushed one of the buttons. An eerie-sounding monotonous female voice soon answered.

"Yes, Chancellor…" She said, her voice haunting.

"Sly Moore…" He said her name smoothly. "I will be gone for the night, and quite possibly tomorrow. If anyone asks for me, tell them that I have gone on an important off-planet meeting and can not be disturbed. If they ask who I am meeting with, tell them that that information is classified. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Chancellor." She answered, like a loyal dog to its master.

"Good. And I do mean it, Sly. I am NOT to be disturbed." His voice was hard and cold, commanding and controlling, like it was the law.

"Yes, Chancellor." She replied again. She didn't question any of the Chancellor's biddings. As his aide, it was her job to do what the Chancellor wished be done.

Palpatine didn't say another word and he immediately turned the device off. It was a good thing that Sly Moore was that loyal to him. She was another one of his power-mongering puppets that thirsted for the afterglow of the empire that would soon be his. Yes…She knew about his plans to destroy the Senate. In fact, she was looking forward to it in hopes of gaining more control of the city. But the one thing she did not know, was that she too was nothing but a pawn by the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Now that that had been settled with, Palpatine dropped the device on the table and walked to his dresser. He opened the dresser with a simple force push and stepped inside. Different clothes waited for him there, clothes that ranged from his usual robes, to his extravagant attires. But tonight, he only needed one set of clothing. It was the clothing that would accompany him in the entirety of his masquerade.

He moved his hand sideways and the farthest cabinet in the dresser swung open. Within that cabinet was an outfit reminiscent of the Jedi garb that Anakin usually wore. It was a set of clothing that was composed of a dark brown robe, a tunic, a belt, dark pants, and the boots to go with it. Though it didn't look exactly like that of Anakin's, it would do for now. After all, Padme wouldn't care about his clothes…She would only care about Anakin. She would be blinded by the joy of seeing him again.

He walked towards the opened cabinet and placed his hand upon the dark brown robe. There would be no turning back now. The game was now set.

x x x x x x

Padme stood by the balcony of her suite as she watched Coruscant come to life under the stars. Ever since Anakin had left months ago, she had always spent her night there, gazing out at the sky, thinking of where he could already be, and when he'll come home, back into her arms where he rightfully belonged, even if the world thought otherwise.

She gently brought the brush against her curls and ran its through her dark brown hair. She could feel the cool breeze against her face and through the thinness of her white, laced, and intricately designed night gown. She couldn't help but think of what Anakin would say and do if he were there with her right now.

She smiled at the thought of it. He would probably wrap his arms around her and hold her from behind while they both watch the city before them. He would whisper sweet nothings to her ear and gently run his fingers down her cheek while he moves in for a passionate kiss. That was her Anakin --- her passionate, beloved husband who she loved above all. And she too, knew deep in her heart, that he loved her just as much.

If only they could openly proclaim their love to one another. If only they could be free from the laws and rules that were keeping them apart in the open. They had the perfect love, the perfect bond. They belonged to one another like two pieces in a puzzle. But in the eye of the world, he was a Jedi, and she was a Senator --- two people who belonged to two different worlds…two people who should not be together.

"I really need you right now, Anakin. Please come home. Please." She whispered. "Please be safe. I --- I don't know what I would do without you."

Sadness emanated from her face as she looked up at the stars. She knew that she was a strong woman, but she was stronger with him by her side. Anakin was her other half, the one who made her complete. Without him, she would die. If there was one thing she wanted in the world right now, it was him. She wanted to be with him again.

The door to Padme's apartment quietly slid open. A tall shadow seeped in from the doorway and touched the marbled floor of the living room. It was a shadow of a man, and it was in the form someone familiar. The man who owned the shadow stood still in the doorway and his light blue eyes surveyed the living room. He almost looked as if he was reluctant to enter the apartment Senator Padme Amidala-Skywaler.

He then stepped inside. His long, dark brown Jedi robe brushed against his feet and the smooth marble tiles as he walked deeper into the living room. He couldn't believe that he was finally here, within the walls of the apartment of the woman he desired. He felt like a beast in the nest of a beautiful and fragile lark.

He turned around and faced the door he had just entered, and used the force to close it in one swift motion. Then a strong presence filled the air. And with it came a voice…a voice that made his knees buckle and his heart pulsate.

"Who are ---" Said the shaking female voice that came from somewhere behind him.

Padme's voice suddenly choked in her own throat as she recognized the figure that was standing within her living room. Though the man's back was facing her, she recognized him --- that height, the hair, that stance, the robes, that body. It couldn't be. This was impossible. She had heard no news of his and Obiwan's return yet and yet there he was, standing there as if he had never left. It was her husband…It was none other than ---

"Anakin!" She cried out. Her voice echoed within the walls of her apartment.

The man turned around to face Padme, and at that moment, he had truly become Anakin. He turned around as if she was truly calling out to HIM. His illusion had worked! Through her eyes, he was Anakin. She saw his face, his body, his soul. She saw Anakin standing there --- not Palpatine --- not Darth Sidious --- Just Anakin --- Just her husband. To her he was finally home. And in her face was a look of happiness that not even the entirety of the universe could ever contain. She was happy to see him.

Padme still couldn't believe her eyes. It truly was him. It was her Anakin.

Just a minute ago she wanted nothing more but for him to come home, and now there he was, standing there within their living room. She could feel her heart beating in her chest…beating as if it was its first time to beat in months. And so she ran to him, ran like her entire life depended on it.

A faint smile curled up the faux Anakin's lips as he saw his 'wife' running towards him. She didn't seem to suspect a thing. He saw no doubt in her face and sensed no uncertainty in her mind. The only emotion that he could feel from her was that of happiness --- complete and total joy and happiness…The kind of happiness that people would be willing to die for…The kind of happiness that even he had never felt.

Everything was going according to plan. His game had started well.

x x x x x x


	5. Blinded

Kittenmommy (omg, FIGS. Lol), Kiana-Morgaine, Abigail33, Music is my Muse, Snow Lepord, Selina Enriquez (kisses :D), thank you SO MUCH for the reviews :D! It's really wonderful to see that you're enjoying the story (especially since this story's more on the "weird twilight zone" side of the SW fanfiction universe). Anywayz, here's the next chap :D! Once again, THANKS, everyone :D!

Chapter 5: Blinded

Padme, who was oblivious to Palpatine's visual manipulation, threw her arms around Anakin's neck and held him so close. She didn't want to let him go…Never again. He had been gone for so long, too long, longer than what was tolerable, and she didn't know what she would do if they ever had to part again. She could feel the warmth of his body pressing against her cheek as she held on to him so tightly. She was practically squeezing the force out of him.

"Oh Anakin…" She said, her voice almost shaking. "I missed you so much." She sounded like she was about to cry tears of happiness.

Anakin's eyes widened as he felt her body so close to his. He could feel the svelte contours of her form pressing against his own and it sent shivers up his aging spine. He looked shocked, surprised, at what was happening right now. And then he remembered that he was not Palpatine at the moment, but Anakin.

Still, he found himself taken aback by this sudden outburst of passion from Padme. He felt like a mere human, deep within the embrace of an ethereal goddess he was not worthy of. He was the Dark Lord of the Sith, invincible to all and the embodiment of total darkness, and yet he now found himself consumed by the love of a simple girl.

So this was what it felt like…To be truly loved by someone who you loved above all. This was what it felt like to be in her arms…To be held by her, pressed against her, feeling her not wanting to let go. Perhaps this was what he had been truly searching for all this time --- not power --- not glory or fame --- just this.

But if it were so, then why couldn't he find the will to hold her in return? Why couldn't he hold her in the way that she was holding him? Was it because deep inside he knew that her sweet embrace was not meant to be his? Because he knew that he could never ever be worthy of the love that she had pledged to Skywalker?

Padme gently unwrapped her arms from his neck, but kept her body just mere inches away from his. The smile on her lips faded and her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at his face, though her eyes still danced with so much happiness.

"Anakin, is something wrong?" She asked, feeling worried about her husband.

She expected him to hold her, kiss her and carry her in his arms. But he just stood there, looking at her with his deep blue eyes as if he had frozen in place. He also seemed a little different. His eyes of dark blue seemed lighter. His face looked more mature as if he had lived an entire lifetime. He looked tired and withered. And there was something about him that felt --- out of place.

She gently cupped his cheek with her soft hand as she looked deep into his eyes, trying to find an answer to his rather strange behavior. "Anakin?" She asked again.

Anakin always had a bad habit of keeping things from her. There were always times wherein he would seem to hide his feelings and thoughts deep within his own heart, as if he had his own world that she could never reach. But this time, she would know what was causing him trouble. She had to. She wanted to share his worries so that they could go through it together. She was his angel, his lover, his heart, his savior, his wife. And she would continue to be as such until her final breath.

Palpatine felt another shiver at the feeling of Padme's soft hand against his cheek. He almost pulled away, shied away like he had always done when she got too close. But then he remembered that he was Anakin now. He didn't have to run from his own feelings --- not anymore. She was his wife now. He could do anything to her as he wished. He could be as physically and emotionally open to her as much as he desired. He now had her heart in his hand.

Tonight, this night, he would consume her…consume her with the love that he had held back for so long…the only love he'd ever felt. Tonight, the darkness would consume the light. He would love her, and then leave her by daylight.

/ "Take her now." / Said a voice inside his head. / "She wants you, you fool. Look at the way she's looking at you. She wants you to hold her, make love to her, kiss her, devour her. You are Anakin now! Do with her as you wish. Feed on her soul. Feast on the beauty that's staring you in the face. Make her yours. Now." /

He felt his hand shaking. He wanted to. He wanted to do it all. And the more he stared into her dark brown eyes and gazed upon her beautiful mesmerizing face, the more he wanted to take her, make her his, devour her whole, consume her soul.

"Anakin…please…say something…Are you all right? Is something wrong?" She asked. Her hand continued to caress his cheek. What was wrong with her husband? She had never seen him like this before. "You're looking at me as if I were a ghost…"

But he couldn't. He couldn't find the will to do it. He couldn't take her. Not now, not yet. There would be time for that, but not now. It --- didn't feel right.

Anakin just closed his eyes and let himself drown in the pleasure of her touch. He could feel her palm caressing his cheek as her fingers gently trailed over his skin. It felt of love, pure love. Whoever thought that such a thing would be enough to make him want to give it all up? What more when she was finally kissing him, making love to him?

He gently placed his hand on top of hers. He pressed her hand against his cheek and gently motioned that side of his face against it. He didn't say anything. He couldn't. No words could express what he was feeling right now. He just closed his eyes and basked in the sensation of his cheek against her touch.

"Oh Padme." He whispered softly as he continued to rub his cheek against her hand.

Padme saw Anakin's face. Padme heard Anakin's voice. Padme felt Anakin's cheek, his lips, his face, and his hand against hers. He looked so vulnerable at the moment, so open, so fragile, like a delicate porcelain figurine that was about to fall and shatter.

His lips brushed her palm and he gently kissed it…He kissed the hand he had always wanted to hold. Then he opened his eyes and looked at her. He brought her hand down, and marveled at the beauty that was none other than Padme, his 'wife'.

"You're so beautiful." He said as he stared at her. "You are more beautiful than anything I have ever seen." His voice was soft and loving. And he himself was surprised with the words that flowed from his lips.

All this time he thought that the only things his cursed mouth could spout were lies and empty promises...But not this time, not tonight. This time, he won't lie. He won't lie to himself or to her. All the words and all the feelings that he would say and express to her would be real. All of it would come from the untainted love that he felt for Padme.

But the painful irony of the situation struck him. He realized that even though it was Anakin that she would see, it would be his own words that she would hear, his touch that she would feel. It would be his fingers that would run over her skin and his arms that would hold her so close. If only she could love him and look at him for who he really was and not as the man she had married years ago.

A gentle smile slowly spread across his face as he ran his fingers down her soft, cherry-colored lips. Oh how he had yearned to kiss them. And now he finally could.

"I love you, Padme." He said softly to her. "I love you so much." And with that, he suddenly wrapped his arms around her and held her in a tight embrace. Now he was the one who was holding like he never wanted to let go. "I've loved you for as long as I can remember." He whispered as he gently pressed his cheek against her temple. "I've loved you all this time…all this time."

Padme was surprised at the sudden outburst of love from her husband. But it made her happy. For whatever it was that was bothering him earlier, was now gone. It was just her and him now. No worries. No pain. Just Padme and Anakin.

She wrapped her arms around him again and let herself give in to the warmth of his strong arms and the comfort of his words. "Oh, Anakin. I was so worried about you. I thought I would never see you again. I was so worried…"

He looked deep into her eyes and ran a finger down her cheek. "Then you need not worry anymore, my love…Because I've come home. I've come home for you." His face hovered an inch away from hers. He could practically smell her sweet scent.

"I missed you so much, Padme…missed you more than you'll ever know. I couldn't stand being away from you anymore so I --- I decided to come home." He said. He realized that he hadn't thought of how he would explain his sudden return. The real Anakin and Obiwan were still busy battling out Separatist forces in the Outer Rim.

"Decided to come home? What do you mean, Anakin?" She suddenly noticed that Artoo was nowhere in sight. "And where's Artoo? And what of Obiwan? I have heard no news from him. I have heard no news of your return. And that's why I was surprised when I saw you here. You…You could have at least told me that you were ---"

"Shhh…" He gently placed a finger over her lips, cutting her off in mid-sentence. "Obiwan's not here. Artoo's not with me either. No one knows I'm here, Padme. Not even Obiwan or the Jedi Council. You're the only one who knows of my presence here in Coruscant." If she only knew the other presence that lay hidden within him.

Padme looked worried. "Then you left Obiwan to fight alone?" She asked. Obiwan was also her dear friend, and she cared for him deeply. She couldn't believe that Anakin, this Anakin, would leave his beloved master behind.

"No…no…" He said caressingly as he shook his head from side to side. "We're currently in a state of ceasefire in the Outer Rim and Major Kenobi --- Obiwan, had to pursue another matter in another planet and so we had to part ways. He asked me to wait for his return, but I couldn't just sit there and wait for him while my heart bled for you, Padme. I needed to be with you again. Please don't accuse me for coming back to you. Please don't accuse me for following my heart."

He took her hand and pressed it flat against his chest. "Do you feel it, Padme? Do you feel it beating? That's my heart, beating for you like it always had."

Padme's eyes were filled with love as she looked upon the handsome face of her husband. Then she cupped his cheeks with her hands and suddenly gave him a sweet and passionate kiss, a kiss that would make up for all the long and grueling months that they were apart. Oh how she hungered to feel him like this again. She continued to kiss him as her delicate hands traveled down to his chest.

Anakin, or rather, Palpatine's eyes widened at the sudden feeling of Padme's lips against his. She caught him by surprise. He found himself taken aback by her sudden kiss, or rather, intoxicated by it. It was like the world around him was spinning as he felt her lips caressing his. Could it be, that for the very first time in his life, the Sith Lord had been caught off guard by something as little as a kiss?

/ "You are Anakin now!" / A voice snapped in his head. / "Stop being a coward and return her love! She is giving her body and soul to you, and you're just standing there like a love-struck fool! Take her now! Do with her as you will! This may be your last chance! Remember, she sees you as her husband! To her, you are Anakin Skywalker." /

And so he closed his eyes and returned her kiss, harder and more passionate. He couldn't hold himself back anymore. He just wanted to let it all go. A decade of withheld and suppressed love now poured through his kiss. All those years of pining for her affection now blossomed in this one moment. And he devoured her like a starving lover.

x x x x x x


	6. On Fire

Okay. It's 1:30AM and I just finished typing this chapter. Let's just say that um, it kinda creeps me out --- Padme/Palpatine shudder. Heck, I don't even know why I'm writing this! LOL! Oh well, it's for the FIGS :D! May they forgive me for all the palpy-bashing I'm doing on their beloved thread. LOL! Oh …and to answer haydenforpresident's question --- The Dark side of the force clouds everything ;)!

Okay…I'm tired and my mind's wandering all over the place. Off to bed I go before I start rambling about Count Dooku or something. Thanks for all the reviews :D!

x x x x x x

Chapter 6: On fire

His soft lips seductively stroked hers in timed rhythm. It was as if nothing could tear their kiss apart. He slowly wrapped his strong arms around her settled his hands on the small of her back. He could almost feel her skin against his fingers through the thin fabric of her nightgown. Finally, finally, after all those years of waiting and longing for her, she was finally his. He pulled her close as he continued to kiss her. He held her tight so that he could feel every contour, every curve of her body against him. And the longer their kiss lasted, the more he felt his desire for her growing.

Padme moaned in between kisses. She couldn't believe how passionate Anakin was right now, but she loved it. She loved it all. She loved how he seemed to kiss her without holding anything back. He was kissing her as if their kiss was the only thing that mattered. He had kissed her a million times before but not like this. There was something different about him right now, but she didn't care. She liked the difference.

"Oh, Anakin." She murmured between their kisses when she had to catch her breath.

Palpatine almost pulled away as she heard him mention that boy's name. It stung him that even though it was his kisses that she loved, it was that boy that she saw. But he continued to kiss her nonetheless. He didn't know if he could ever stop. Her lips were sweet and the feeling of her body was deep intoxication. Not even the strongest side of the dark side of the force had let him feel such pleasure, such satisfaction.

"I love you, Padme." He gasped as he made a trail of kisses down to her neck.

His lips kissed her skin and his tongue gently caressed it. He almost looked as if he was tasting her flesh. Padme placed her hands behind his head and on his back and she held him closer to her. She didn't want him to stop. She felt drowned by his passion, overwhelmed by it. She wanted to surrender to it. If he wanted to devour her, then let him. He had never been this hungry for her before. A soft moan escaped from her red lips as she felt Anakin's kisses grow wilder.

His hand made its way to her shoulder and he slowly slid the lace strap of her nightgown down her arm. Padme gently pulled away from their breathless kiss, but kept her face just an inch away from his. Their quick breaths intertwined with one another as they stared into each others eyes…his light blue ones looking deep into her dark brown ones. Their hearts were racing, beating, pounding in their chests.

"Not here, Anakin." She whispered softly. Then she gave him a brief kiss on the lips. "Not here…" She whispered again and gave him another teasing kiss.

/ "Does she mean…" / He thought to himself. He looked into her eyes and saw the longing there. He knew she wanted him.

A soft smile curled up the corners of Anakin's lips and he swiftly carried her in his strong arms. He had literally swept her off her feet. Then he started on his way to Padme's bedroom. But Padme wouldn't let that short interlude subdue her passion for him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself up to kiss him there. Soft, hungry kisses blossomed from Padme's lips and scattered all over Anakin's neck. He couldn't help but close his eyes and moan softly as she continued to kiss him like that.

He didn't know that Padme could ever be this liberated, this wild, this passionate when it came to matters of the heart and body. Ever since he had known her, she had always been formal, proper, and unexpressive of her emotions. But now, he would finally see the side of her that no one else had ever seen, except for her husband.

Once they reached her bedroom, he gently settled her on the floor right next to the bed, and the two of them stared into each other's eyes. Neither of them said a word. Everything was still and silent as they continued to look at each other as if they were locked in a silent conversation that only they could understand.

The dim light of the moon shone through the open balcony and reflected upon their faces, emphasizing the curves and shadows of their features. He looked at her face, and she looked at his.

Anakin slowly brought his hand up and gently ran a finger down her cheek. "What now, my love?" He asked softly, tracing the contour of her beautiful face. He spoke those words so faintly like he wanted to keep them a secret from the world. He wanted this night to be his and Padme's alone.

Padme didn't say anything. She just looked at him with eyes filled with passion and slowly slid her hands over the shoulders of his tunic. Her eyes never wavered from his face as she slowly, almost teasingly, slid his dark brown robe from his shoulders. Anakin's robe fell limply on the floor and piled around his feet.

He also couldn't pull his eyes away from hers. He was hypnotized by her stare and the beauty of her face while it shone with the pale light of the moon. He could barely see her entirety in the dimness of the night, but he didn't have to. To have her before him, like this, was enough. And the light that emanated from her alone was already perfect. Why need the light when he had her? She was the only light he ever needed. Ever.

Her eyes were still locked with his as she trailed her hands to his belt. Her delicate fingers unclasped it, and it fell on the floor where his robe now lay. Anakin glanced down and realized what she had been doing. Was she, undressing him?

Padme then slowly unwrapped the cloth around his waist, where his belt used to be, and let it fall with the heap on the floor. His double-layered tunic hung loose on his tall and athletic frame at the loss of his accessories. Her smooth and soft hands continued to make their way to the cross-section of his tunic, and she slowly opened it, pulling his tunic apart, exposing his bare torso.

Palpatine's heart raced as he watched her undress him. He felt controlled by her, owned by her. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Wasn't he the one who came here to consume and manipulate her? And yet, once again, he couldn't take the upper hand --- not now when his goddess was having her way with him. Not now when she wanted him so badly. He loved the feeling of her wanting him, as much as he had wanted her.

She leaned forward and gently kissed him on the chest. Anakin narrowed his eyes and let out a soft moan. He could feel every fiber of his body burn at the feeling of her lips against his bare skin. And his desire for her grew even more. He knew that once his turn came, he would have his way with her.

She continued to kiss his chest, softly, gently, with kisses that caressed him with every stroke. And as she did, she slid his tunics off his shoulders and down his well-toned arms in one smooth motion. He now stood shirtless before her, his entire upper body exposed to his one and only wife. Yes --- HIS wife.

A subtle smile spread across his face as he looked into her eyes. "I love you." He whispered. He couldn't say it enough. He wanted to say it every moment that he was with her.

He leaned forward and tilted her chin up with his finger and he kissed her gently on the lips. When their lips had parted, he leaned to his side and quickly pulled his right boot off, and did the same with the left one. Now the only thing he had left on were his pants and his undergarment…the only things that were keeping him from her.

He could feel his heart beating faster and harder in his ribcage now as Padme stared at his faux face and his illusionary half-naked body. A thin layer of sweat covered his chest, his neck, his arms and his forehead. Was he nervous? Or perhaps, he was just waiting in anticipation for what was to come next.

His eyes continued to look at her as he slowly walked around her, like a predator encircling its prey. Then he stopped near the edge of the bed, and his back was now facing it as if he were ready to lie down. Padme smiled, a deep and seductive smile, and took a step closer to him. Then she looked into his eyes and slowly, ran her hands down to the waist of his pants.

Palpatine swallowed and gasped as he felt her hands down there, ready to free him from his remaining pieces of clothing. He could feel his own chest heaving as his breaths quickened. Then he felt her slowly and silently strip him of his lower garments until he was standing there, completely undressed, in the body of Anakin Skywalker.

Padme's eyes were filled with love as she stared upon the face of her naked husband. She took another step closer to him, so close that she could feel her bosom against his chest through the thin fabric of her revealing night gown. She then placed her hand upon his well-toned chest and gently pushed him down on the bed.

Palpatine soon found himself on the bed, sitting near the edge of it as he leaned backwards while his arms propped him up for support. He couldn't believe that he was letting her control him. The Dark Lord of the Sith, being controlled by none other than a powerless girl. But he loved it nonetheless. He loved it all. He loved everything that she was doing to him. After all, he loved her.

His bare torso continued to heave up and down as he breathed and exhaled. He stared at her entirety as she crawled on the bed, between his legs. He swallowed at the sight of it and slowly crawled backwards until he found himself near the pillows.

She was now kneeling before him, between his legs, while the soft silky covers of the bed pressed against her fair knees. She looked at him lovingly as she started to roll down the other strap of her nightgown. He found it inviting and seductive.

Anakin suddenly sat up and kissed her passionately on the lips. His hands ran all over her body as he kissed her, harder and more passionate than he ever had that night. His kisses soon trailed down her neck, then to her bare, strapless shoulders. He felt so hungry for her, so needy of her.

Padme threw her head back and moaned at the sensation of Anakin's kisses. Then she felt him pull away a bit, just long enough for him to pull her nightgown above her head. He threw her clothing away to the side of the room and continued to kiss her wherever his lips could reach. She too, kissed him in return. And now they were both undressed, skin against skin, their sweats mixing with one another.

He wrapped his arms around her. His hands pulled her close to him as they trailed over her smooth skin. He felt as if he were on fire. He was burning and he wanted more. He felt intoxicated, pleasured, drugged by her love for him. He wanted more of her, so much more than he could take, so much more to the point that it would kill him. If he were to die in her embrace right now, then so be it. Let the force take his life.

They continued to engulf one another in sweet, passionate kisses, husband and wife both hungry for each other's love. He could feel her hands all over his body, running over his shoulders, his chest, his neck, his stomach, down to the most erogenous parts of himself which made him gasp and moan in between kisses.

Padme couldn't believe how passionate, how wild and free Anakin waas tonight. Whenever they made love after their secret marriage in Naboo, everything felt so controlled, so suppressed, as if Anakin was always trying to hold himself back --- like he was always scared of unleashing his own emotions…But not tonight. Tonight, Anakin was hers. He was giving her one hundred percent of himself, his soul, his essence, perhaps even more.

Her kisses never subsided as she pushed Anakin down on his back. She was now fully on top of him. She could feel every part of her body motioning against his as they kissed passionately under the light of the moon. Palpatine soon found himself lying on the bed with his head on the pillows as they continued to consume each other. Padme's hands continued to explore over his body, slowly, yet wildly, not holding anything back.

Then in one swift motion, Anakin rolled Padme over so that he was now the one on top of her. Yes. He was now the one in control. And as he lay there on top of her, he couldn't help but gaze upon the beauty of her sweat-covered face. His hands pressed on the bed as he propped himself up. His eyes locked with hers, and once again, their moans and cries of love had been reduced to the sound of quick, deep breathing.

His shoulders heaved as he continued to look at her. Neither of them said a word as they stared lovingly into each other's eyes. This was all too much…all too much for him to bear. It was too perfect, far too perfect, and he didn't know if he'll be able to live the rest of his life knowing that he'll never taste this moment again.

"Ask me to make love to you, Padme." He whispered. "Tell me that you want me to make love to you tonight. Ask me to love you, and I will…"

Padme smiled, a soft and gentle smile, and she gently reached up to brush away the damp hair that had gathered on her husband's sweaty forehead. "You need not ask for my permission, Anakin. You know I'm yours. I was yours when you married me…and I will always be yours until the day that I d---"

Anakin suddenly pressed his fingers lightly on her lips, cutting her short. He couldn't bear the thought of her dying. He couldn't. Not now…Not now when he loved seeing her before him, alive --- alive and breathing. "Ssssh…" He said softly. He gently ran his fingers down her lips and placed his hand back on the bed. "Just ask me, Padme. Please…Just…just ask me to make love to you."

She was really surprised at how her husband was acting at the moment. In fact, he'd been acting --- different ever since he came back from the Outer Rim. But now was not the time to ponder about that. After all, she loved and adored and cherished this new side of him. Why question that which she loved?


	7. Never forget

Here it is :D! Chapter 7 :D! Once again, THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to review the previous chaps :D! You guys are my human batteries! LOL! Also, thanks for everyone's constructive criticisms D! They will definitely be kept in mind :D! Oh, and hi to the FIGSers out there (u know who you evil people are) :P! LOL!

Chapter 7: Never forget

She stared deep into his eyes and breathed in as she softly said these words. "Make love to me, Anakin. I want you to make love to me."

Anakin gasped as he heard those words from her very lips. Though it stung him that she had said her husband's name, at least she had said those words to him. It was his ears that heard them, and his eyes that saw her mouth speak them. She wanted him to make love to her tonight and that was the only thing that mattered.

His breaths quickened as he clenched his jaw. His heart was racing faster than it ever had in his entire life. This was it. This was the moment when he would take her, make her his. He positioned his hips on top of hers and closed his eyes as he entered her for the very first time.

Padme threw her head back against the pillows and gave out a brief cry of bliss at the feeling of Anakin inside her. It had been so long since the last time they had made love like this. And the way he had entered her --- felt as if he was making love to her for the very first time. Like all the love he had felt for her all these years were being released, being expressed, at this very moment alone.

Anakin gasped as he thrust deep inside her. The expression on his face was that of insurmountable pleasure and a hint of pain. What he was feeling right now was unlike anything he had ever felt before. He felt as if he had died, right then and there, on top of her, even though he knew that he was still breathing air into his lungs.

This, THIS was the feeling that he wanted above all. It was better than her kiss, better than her sweet embrace, better than her hand against his skin. This act --- this was the epitome of the love that he felt for her. This was something greater than the force itself, greater than any power he had ever experienced.

None of that could ever compare to this. This moment consumed him in his entirety. The pleasure devoured his soul, and not even the dark side had done that. He felt as if he was now one with her, a part of her entire being. The fire from within her consumed him, and he was now being devoured by the pleasure of her love.

He held himself inside her, not moving, as he looked upon her face. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if he couldn't control the pleasure that was erupting from within him. He, too, saw the pleasured look on her visage, and that enticed him to make love to her more, more until they reach the end.

He slowly moved his hands over hers and gently moved them above her head. He now had her. He was now the one in control. And yet, he felt different. He thought he would feel triumphant over her --- dominant and controlling. He thought that if he had her like this, he would feel that way, but it wasn't that now. Not anymore. Looked like his plan had turned out far more different than what he had intended it to be.

His blue eyes never wavered from her brown ones as they stared at each other in the silence of the night, ready and willing to give the whole of themselves for love. And even until now, now that he was one with her, inside her, he still couldn't fathom the beauty that was looking at his faux face.

/ "Will I ever deserve you? Will the light ever give the darkness a chance?" / He thought to himself as he continued to gaze upon her face.

He leaned down and kissed her again. He kissed her slowly, gently, as he motioned himself against her. Soft moans escaped from Padme's lips as their fingers slowly intertwined with each other. His hot breath against her lips, her skin and her neck, made her quiver. He gasped every time he felt himself so deep within her. His mind was filled with nothing but the feeling of her against him.

He couldn't help but drown in the passion and pleasure of the moment. Yes…That was what it felt like --- for him it felt like drowning…Drowing in a sea he'd never been to before --- a sea in which he'd like to drown in forever. A sea of pleasure and love that felt so right…A sea of nothing but Padme. This was the power that Padme had over him. This moment was the pinnacle of the power that she had over the Dark Lord of the Sith.

x x x x x

After a surge of pleasure that erupted from within him, Anakin collapsed on Padme's bosom. Deep, quick breaths escaped from his parted lips as he closed his eyes in the feeling of its afterglow. His sweaty hair and cheek pressed against her chest, dampening her moist skin even more.

He shivered, and his thin, pinkish lips shook at the traces of pleasure that continued to swirl in his body. It felt so good, too good. And it wasn't just the physical aspect of it that he found gratifying. He found everything pleasurable, from the sound of her moans, to the feeling of her fingers pressing against his back as they both reached the height of their passion.

The cool wind from the open balcony touched his naked back and it caused him to let out a soft, quivering gasp. He cuddled himself closer to her and felt the warmth of her sweaty body against his.

Their torsos rose and fell in unison at the sound of each others' breathlessness. He could practically feel her heart beating within her chest as he lay there on top of her like a helpless, vulnerable child. He felt so tired, so exhausted. He had just made love to her, with her, wild passionate love, and at the same time had to keep the illusion going.

True, he was the Dark Lord of the Sith, but even the dark side had its limits. After all, despite his mastery of the dark side of the force, he was still human --- and humans were made of flesh and blood --- flesh that easily tired. He had also been using the force to its full extent to manipulate her mind ever since he had stepped foot in her apartment. And truth be told, he didn't know how long before he lost control of his powers.

He calmed himself down and let himself relax on her chest. He soon felt her fingers running through his hair, gently caressing him, lulling him into a feeling of serenity. He couldn't remember the last time he felt like this --- so peaceful, so quiet, so free…free from himself and his destiny as the Sith's 'chosen one'.

For once in his dark life, his mind was void of his plans and his schemes and his hunger for power. Right now, he wasn't thinking about the world outside Padme's walls. Tonight, none of that existed. Darth Sidious didn't exist. The Sith didn't exist. The Jedi didn't exist. The world around them was non-existent and time had stopped. Right now, at this very moment, the only thing that existed was him and her.

A soft contented sigh escaped from his lips as Padme continued to run her fingers through his dark brown hair. His eyes were still closed as he gently nuzzled against her chest. He loved how close he was to her like this…So close to her heart.

"That was beautiful, Anakin." She softly whispered. "I love you."

Her words reached his ears and he opened his eyes. The pale light of the four moons reflected upon his light blue eyes as he gazed upon the night sky that hovered beyond the balcony of Padme's room. He saw one of the moons, the brightest moon that filled the darkness with its glow…The moon that was the only witness to their love …The moon that knew the truth. The moon --- that would keep his secret for eternity.

And soon enough, that moon, with its three other brothers, would disappear to give way to the rising sun, to the dawn of a new day. And like the moons, he too would disappear from her arms and leave her behind forever. Then the only thing that he would have left would be the mere memories from this night.

He would do anything to stay with her, stay with her like this. But alas, that was not his fate, nor was it hers. They were not destined to be. She was destined to die and he was destined to rule the galaxy with an iron fist. To him, that was the will of the force.

"Padme…" He said, softly calling out to her. His voice was so faint and soft that it almost drowned into a silent whisper. His cheek continued to rest upon her chest as he gazed at the dark, moonlit sky beyond the balcony.

"Yes, Anakin?" She asked, her voice also soft and gentle. Her fingers continued to run through his wavy hair as she held him close on top of her.

"Promise me something." He whispered.

"Anything, my love." Padme replied.

"Promise me you'll never forget me." He said faintly, his voice slightly shaking.

Padme's eyebrows slightly furrowed as she looked down at her husband. She could see him still looking at the open balcony. "Anakin…" She said, not certain what to say. Why would he ask such a thing from her? He spoke as if she would forget him. "I…I don't understand. You know I'll never forget you. Never."

He gently pushed himself off of her and lay down by her side. He rested his head on the pillow, right next to her, and looked deep into her dark brown eyes. He gently traced the contour of her beautiful face with his finger and gently ran it down her red lips.

"Just promise me, Padme." He whispered as he looked at her. His eyes looked deep into hers as if he were trying to read them. "Promise me you'll never forget me. Promise me you'll never forget this night. Promise me you'll remember me as I am now...Not as what you see me now, Padme, but as what I am now to you."

Padme looked worried. She couldn't understand why he was talking like this. He had never been like this with her before. "Anakin, what are you trying to say?" She asked. Deep inside her, she couldn't help but fear Anakin's answer to her question.

But Anakin didn't answer her question. Instead, he continued with the concerns of his own heart. "Remember the love that you feel for me tonight. Remember the joy you felt when you first saw me in your living room. Remember that moment when you held me so close. Promise me you'll remember everything that happened, from then, until now…Until the moon disappears and the sun rises. Remember how my eyes look at you as if they want to remember every facet of your beauty. Remember the feeling of my skin against yours." He swallowed, as if he almost felt his own words blocking his throat. "Remember the feeling of me inside you. Promise me you'll remember it all. Promise me you'll never forget. I don't want you to forget this night, Padme."

Padme gently cupped Anakin's cheek with her hand as she looked at his handsome, sad face. What had caused him to act like this?

"Anakin? What's wrong? You're --- you're speaking us if I'll forget you. You're speaking as if this is the last night that we have together, like the world is about to come to an end ---"

"But what if it is?" He asked, his voice trembling. "What if this is our last night together? What if the world comes to an end --- tonight, or tomorrow? What if --- what if we never wake up? Don't you understand, Padme? I don't want to lose you!" He said through gritted teeth. He placed his hand on top of hers and pressed it against his cheek.

/ "I hate you, Padme. I HATE YOU!" / His mind shouted. / "I hate you for doing this to me. I hate you for having me under your spell. And now I don't even know what I really want anymore. Why did I ever have to fall in love with you? This was not part of the plan. This was not supposed to happen. But I couldn't stop myself. I couldn't." /

There was suddenly determination in her eyes as she held his cheek firmly. "Then if the world will come to an end, then so be it! Let it all end! Because when that time comes, when the end is near, you know I'll still be with you, Anakin. I'll be with you --- holding your hand, as we watch it all end before our very eyes." Then her voice softened. "I love you, Anakin. And I'll never ever forget you. Nothing will ever take me away from you. Not even death." She whispered. "Not even death…"

Anakin's face hardened as he looked at her face. He looked pained, and hurt. He couldn't bare the thought that her death had already been planned…That he himself had planned it. In fact, he had already foreseen it --- somehow. She would die of a broken heart. That was for sure, and he was the one who was going to deliver her to death's door. She would die within a year from now and it would all be because of his doing.

He suddenly gasped, releasing all his pent up frustration, and pulled her into a tight embrace. Padme let herself surrender to his arms as she let her body press firmly against his. She wrapped her arms around his midsection and rested her face upon his chiseled chest. Palpatine closed his eyes as he continued to hold her in silence.

Then he looked at the most visible moon in the dark sky, and hoped that when it gave way to the sun, the sun would be kind to him and her. He looked at Padme's form in his arms and saw her eyes closed. Her breaths were warm against his chest as her fragile form engaged itself in a deep and well-deserved rest.

Now that Padme was asleep, he found it appropriate to drop his illusion and free both him and her from his night-long masquerade. And so he freed her mind from his manipulation and dropped the illusion that was keeping her to him. He suddenly felt as if an entire weight had been lifted off his shoulders, as if a tight collar around his neck had been loosened. The dark side of the force wasn't really meant to be used in such a way and in such a long time.

Nonetheless, his grip on her senses was now gone, and so too was the image of Anakin Skywalker. If she were to wake up right now, she wouldn't find the man she had married and made love to the night before. Instead, she would find him, the Chancellor, the Dark Lord of the Sith, cradling her in his arms.

The thought of leaving her now, now while she was asleep, actually entered his mind. That way, he wouldn't have to risk exposing his true identity. But he couldn't find the will to do it. He couldn't betray her. He couldn't bare the thought of leaving her tonight…Not when she was peacefully resting in his arms.

Anakin exhaled and nuzzled her closer to him. His eyes then went back to staring at the pale moons. "Never forget." He whispered to himself. Then he slowly closed his eyes, and let himself fall into a deep and peaceful sleep.

x x x x x x

TBC? (should i? .)


	8. Pain after passion

THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the reviews 8D! It's always wonderful to write a chapter knowing that there are readers who are looking forward to it :D! You guys rock :D! Really, it means a lot that you're reviewing this "scary" fic. LOL! And yah, I kinda suxorz in the grammorz --- it's my rambling mind, I tells ya :P!

Btw, a wonderful and talented friend of mine shared her artistic talents with this fanfiction and drew a fanart that's dedicated to it :D!

http/ic1. you so much, Selina :D! Luv ya, girl ;)! Keep up the awesome work :D!

x x x x x x

Chapter 8: Pain after passion

A soft moan escaped from the Chancellor's lips as he felt the warm rays of the sun hit his closed eyes. The first thought that entered his mind was the memory of being with Padme last night, and it immediately snapped him awake. He remembered that he had to wake up before she did…Because if she woke up first, his masquerade would end, and it would end right before her very eyes. That was unacceptable.

His eyes shot open, and he was surprised to feel that he couldn't move. He couldn't move his arms, or his legs. They felt bound and withheld. He looked up and saw his wrists chained to the bed's headboard. The silver, primitive chain was wrapped around his wrists tight, tight enough for them to be immobile. He gritted his teeth and tried to shake them free, but failed to no avail. He only strained and hurt his wrists even more as they pressed and rubbed against the merciless steel.

He tried to reach out to the force --- and then his throat tightened. He couldn't believe what just happened. He couldn't reach out to the force. He couldn't even feel it anymore. It was like he had been cut off from it completely. As for his ankles, he didn't need to look down to know that they, too, were chained to the bed's footer.

/ "What's going on!" / He thought to himself as he continued to writhe his wrists free from the chains that bound them to the bed.

He then looked down and his eyes widened with shock. His mouth gaped open and he gasped in surprise. Apparently, he was still undressed, as naked as he was right after they made love last night. But that was not what surprised him.

On top of him, kneeling right above his pale and bare mid-section --- was Padme dressed in the revealing night gown he had come to know from the night before. She had a discerning look in her dark brown eyes as she stared at him, and a sly grin that made his spine tingle. On her right hand was an intricately designed dagger that she held proudly by her side, as if she were ready to strike him down.

Palpatine furrowed his eyebrows and gritted his teeth in agitation. He couldn't believe that this was happening. It all seemed like one twisted nightmare. Did Padme wake up before he did? Did she discover his true identity, chained him to the bed, and was now going to gut him? And the fact the he had suddenly lost his connection with the force made him doubt the reality of the situation.

He was about to say something, when Padme leaned forward and pressed a hand against his bare chest, pushing him down harder against the bed. "You love me, don't you?" She asked, almost teasingly. The sly smile on her face didn't waver.

Palpatine looked dumbfounded. Was Padme asking him if 'he' loved 'her'? Why would she? Shouldn't she be angry, shocked, confused, and panicked --- after what happened between them last night? He expected her to ask him questions, but not that. None of it was adding up. None of it made any sense.

He pulled on his chained wrists again and tried to lean towards her. "Who are you? What's going on!" He hissed through gritted teeth. He looked like a chained animal that was trying to free itself and attack its captor.

"Who am I?" She asked, chuckling. "Are you asking me who I am?" Her chuckle turned into mocking laughter. "Why, I'm the woman you love, of course --- or have you already forgotten, my dear sweet chancellor? Or should I call you --- Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith?" The smile on her face widened.

"You're not Padme." He said in a deep, growling tone. "You're not her! This…"

"Not Padme? Are you questioning me? And to think that we just made wild, passionate love last night. Or perhaps you need something to refresh your memories? Something that you like, something like this…" She leaned forward and kissed him hard on the lips.

The kiss, unlike their kisses the night before, was not passionate, nor was it sweet. The kiss felt forced, hard, vicious, and merciless against his lips. He tried to move away, but she kissed him even more. Then she suddenly bit his lower lip --- hard, and pulled away.

Palpatine let out a brief yelp of pain as he felt the skin on his lower lip break. He couldn't believe what she just did. She just bit him. He licked his lower lip and recognized the taste of iron on his tongue. He was bleeding.

A deep giggle escaped from Padme's lips as she looked at him. "Now that was rather tasty, if I say so myself. Don't you agree, my dear Chancellor?"

"None of this is real!" He growled. "What sort of trickery is this! Is this a dream! A nightmare! You are NOT Padme and this is not happening!"

He pulled on his chained wrists and ankles again and felt his skin against the cold steel. He could barely even raise his knees and move his arms. He felt helpless and vulnerable, as any normal human being would in the same situation.

The smile on Padme's face disappeared. "But aren't dreams real too, Palpatine?" Her voice was serious now. Gone was the playful tone she carried when he first saw her.

She suddenly pressed her fingernails against the pale skin of his chest which caused Palpatine to wince in pain. "And people are not supposed to feel pain in dreams, do they?" She pressed her fingernails harder against his skin, as if she was ready to dig them into his chest. "Or is that just a misconception?" She added.

"I will have none of this! None of this is real!" He shouted. His voice was filled with anger and pain. His entire torso heaved up and down as he panted through clenched teeth. He knew it was all a dream. It had to be. And yet, everything felt so real --- her fingernails --- her hand against his chest --- the stinging pain on his lower lip…

"Who are you to say what's real and what's not!" She shouted. "You're love for me --- You're love for Padme. Is that real! Is it!" She asked. "Do you love me!"

Palpatine gasped at the question. He felt cornered by it. He furrowed his eyebrows and felt sweat trickling down his forehead. He didn't know if he should answer it or not. Of all the questions, why that? "O—Of course I do. I love you. I love Padme. I love you above all." Was he letting his nightmare toy with him?

"LIAR!" Padme shouted, and then she swiftly swung the dagger across his face, cutting a horizontal line across his cheeks, and on the skin of the bridge of his nose.

Palpatine's face whipped to the side as she cut him. He cried out in pain at the feeling of the sharp blade making its way across his cheeks, right below his eyes. It also ran across the bridge of his nose, forming a horizontal laceration on his face.

The pain stung him, and he continued to groan in agony. Blood soon oozed from the freshly cut wound and flowed like red tears from his cheeks. They trickled down his face like crimson rivers and touched the pillow that his head was resting upon. The lower portion of his face and was now practically covered with a net of blood.

His mouth was half-open as he breathed in and out, as if panting would take some of the pain away. He turned his head to look at her and found remorse in her eyes.

"If you love me, if you TRULY love me, then why will you let me die! If you love me as much as say you do, then why will you let me suffer! Why, Palpatine! Don't you love me enough! Or is your love for me not real! Am I just one of your little conquests? One of the little things you want and leave along the way?"

"No…" He could barely speak through the pain of his wounds. "That's not true. I--- I love you. I love you, Padme…But I can't change it anymore. Our destiny --- It's been set. It's out of my control now. I've gone so far. I can't change it. I can't."

"I don't think so." She said, glaring at him. "I think you're lying to me as much as you're lying to yourself." She suddenly grabbed him by his silver hair and forced his head back down on the pillow. Palpatine could do nothing but wince. She then leaned forward on top of him and pressed the sharp tip of the dagger against his chin.

"How long will it take you to realize the truth, Palpatine? How much pain do you need to feel before you realize what you really want!" She hissed at him, her breath hot against his bleeding cheek. Then she slowly traced the cleft of his chin with the tip of her dagger. Blood soon flowed from the freshly cut wound and trickled down to his neck.

Palpatine helplessly gasped in pain at the additional cut she had inflicted on him. Was this the purpose of this twisted nightmare? To make him feel pain? To make him feel the physical manifestation of his mental anguish and confusion? If so, then he'd had enough. He wanted to wake up now. The Dark Lord of the Sith was ready to give up.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" She asked. She leaned back and towered over him again. She smiled at the sight of his bleeding face. "And all this time I thought Sith Lords never bleed. I thought they never gave in to pain."

She held him down by the chest again, and pressed the tip of her dagger right in the middle of it.

"No…" He pleaded. His voice was faint as it mixed with his breath. He once again tried to shake himself free from the chains that bound his wrists and ankles, but only felt the cold steel wrap around them tighter. He felt trapped and helpless.

"After all, how can you feel pain…" She gritted her teeth and stared at his bloody face as she slowly started to run the tip of the dagger down his chest. "…when you can't even feel love." A flowing crimson line slowly made its way down Palpatine's torso as she mercilessly cut him from the chest, down to the navel. The cut was only skin deep…Not deep enough to tear his skin apart and expose his innards.

He could do nothing but feel the pain of the dagger cutting his skin as he lay there bound to Padme's bed. His face twisted and contorted in agony and he silently cried out in anguish as she continued to slowly cut him. The blood that flowed from the long laceration oozed down to his sides like deep red waterfalls.

"But I love you." He said weakly.

"Not enough." She said as she pulled the dagger away from his skin. "But don't worry, my dear Sith Lord." She leaned towards him again and brought her face just an inch away from his. And the words that followed stung him more than any of the wounds she had inflicted. "Because I'll never love you. The light can never embrace the dark. The light drives it away. My heart will never be yours. Not in a million years. Not in this lifetime, or the next. Padme will never deserve you."

She then pulled away from him and raised the dagger above his chest. The blade was pointing down at his heart. "She will never be yours. Remember that."

He was expecting her to stab him now, but instead, she suddenly pointed the blade towards herself, and in one swift and deadly motion, plunged the cold and bloody blade of the dagger deep into her own heart.

And he screamed out her name.

x x x x x x


	9. Morning

YESSS! Chapter 9 is up :D! To those who are still wondering WHAT THE HELL happened in Chapter 8, this chapter will "kind of" clear it up :D!

By the way, I'm terribly sorry if it took me a while to finish this chapter x.x. I have recently just been diagnosed of having carpal tunnel syndrome, so I greatly have to reduce my typing (or buy a keyboard that could help with the injury).

Take care, all :D! And I hope you like this chappie 8D!

Chapter 9: Morning

"Padme! Nooooooo!"

Palpatine screamed those words as he sat upright on Padme's bed. His right hand shot forward in an attempt to stop Padme from plunging the dagger into her heart. His blue eyes were wide with shock as he sat there --- frozen in place like a mannequin that was reaching out to something he could not see. His pale torso glistened with sweat and his chest and shoulders heaved up and down as he panted through his gaping mouth.

It was all a dream. Everything he saw, everything he felt --- it was nothing but a dream, a harmless nightmare that seemed too real for his own good. His open hand shook, and then he closed it into a fist and moved it back down to his side. He felt the soft, silky covers of the bed beneath his skin as grim memories of the nightmare plagued his mind.

/ "You will never have her, Sidious. You know that as well as I do." / Said a voice in his head. It hissed like a ghostly snake slithering in his brain. And yet, he recognized it. It was none other than the voice of his former master, Darth Plagueis the wise…The master he himself had killed. / "You cannot love, Sidious. You are not capable of such a thing. You have gone too deep in the darkness to know what love truly is." /

"No." He whispered to himself. "That's not true…"

/ "Leave her and pursue your destiny! Forget about her. There is no room for love. Love is for the weak, for those who cannot let go! Be the Sith that you are! She is dead to you! Didn't you like it when you saw her die?" / The voice of Plagueis continued and it made his stomach churn. / "She died the moment you laid eyes on her, Sidious. She's as dead as you have foreseen. You are going to kill her and you know that!" /

"I know --- but…" He could feel his heart beating faster. His mind felt like a maze, and he felt trapped in it. He felt lost. He didn't know where to go.

/ "I died in your hands, my apprentice. I know the monster that lurks within your demented soul. And someday, she too will fall victim to your lust for power. Her blood will spill because of you, and she will suffer in your name. You will taste her pain and live past the day she dies. That is inevitable. That is your destiny." /

Palpatine closed his eyes tight and clutched his head with his hands. "No…Stop. I don't want to hear this. Not now." He whispered, begging his master to stop. Once again, he felt like Plagueis' apprentice, controlled and bent by the will and voice of his master.

"Anakin?" Padme softly called out as she slowly opened her eyes. She felt the warm light of the dawn against her face, blinding her momentarily. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. It was Anakin's scream that had woken her from her deep sleep.

Palpatine's light blue eyes shot open at the sound of her voice. He immediately reached out to the force, and controlled it, twisted, and contorted it to form the image of Anakin in Padme's mind. Once again, her senses have surrendered to his illusion. And today, she will see him again in the image of the man she had married in Naboo.

"Anakin…Are you all right?" She reached out and gently placed a hand on his bare shoulder. Her other hand held the silky cover over her chest. They were both still completely undressed from the night before. "I think I heard you call out to me." She said softly, not wanting to startle her troubled husband.

Anakin turned to look at her and he met her eyes --- blue against his brown. The dawning light of the sun reflected upon his face and brought warmness to his handsome features. The sight of her overwhelmed him. Seeing her naked beside him on the bed made him feel weak and powerless while he stared at her flawless beauty.

"I had a bad dream." He could hear his voice cracking. His eyes reflected the sadness that weighed upon his heart. "I dreamt I lost you. I really thought I lost you, Padme. It --- it felt so real." He said softly. "And when I thought it was, I felt as if I wanted to die." He whispered. He brought his hand to her face and gently cupped her cheek. His thumb carefully stroked her fair skin.

"Oh, Anakin." She said softly. "That will never happen."

And with those words, she leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips. Anakin kissed her back, his hand still on her cheek. His kiss was sweet and passionate as his lips gently stroked hers. He didn't want to hold anything back in the little time that he had left in this masquerade. Today he would love her --- love her with all the remaining light that he had before the darkness takes it all away.

A caring smile spread across Padme's reddish lips as their kiss ended. She looked at his face with comforting eyes. "So cheer up, okay?" She asked. She ran a finger down his chin. "I'll be with you forever, whether you like it or not, Jedi Skywalker. Remember that. After all, I am your wife." A soft giggle escaped from her lips.

Palpatine couldn't believe what happened next, for he too, laughed. And unlike the millions of times he had laughed in the presence of his so-called "comrades" in politics, this time, the laughter was genuine. He really felt it. He liked it. He was not pretending. For once in his dark and solitary life, he was actually laughing.

"And as your husband, I love you." He said with a wide smile. And at that moment, he felt happy, incredibly happy, and invigorated. It was the kind of happiness he hadn't felt before --- the kind of happiness that did not stem from pain or suffering.

"I love you, Padme!" He said excitedly. The huge smile on his face lingered, and his light blue eyes danced with joy as he looked at her.

He suddenly pushed her down on the bed and swiftly pulled the silken covers on top of them both. The cover draped over Anakin's back as he got on his hand and knees on top of her. It was as if the two of them were hiding under a little tent on the bed.

"Anakin!" Padme giggled as she looked up at him. The only thing she could see was Anakin, and the blanket over him.

"Why, my love? Does the sight of me, overwhelm you?" He asked playfully. He leaned forward and gave her a soft peck on the lips. "I love you, you know. I loved from the moment I met you and I love you now and I will love you tomorrow and I will love you until the day I die!" He shouted.

He didn't care about death now. In fact, he didn't care about anything else. The only thing that mattered to him was that this was his final morning with her, and he would use the few remaining hours to show her the part of him that could still love.

Then his face softened as he quietly gazed down at her. "I've never loved anyone as much as I love you, Padme." He said. "And it's not just that. You --- you make me feel things I've never felt before --- even those feelings I shouldn't feel. You've changed my life in a way that even I cannot understand. Sometimes I even feel as if you're stronger than the force itself. Do you know what you do to me, Padme?" He asked as he continued to look at her. "You consume me whenever your eyes look my way. You make me shiver with every touch. You devour my soul with every kiss. I don't know what to call the power you have over me, but it's there --- it's…"

Padme smiled and gently placed a finger over his lips, hushing him. "Anakin…It's called love." She said softly. Then she ran her finger down to his chest and drew an invisible cross over the left portion where his heart was. "It's because you love me."

Anakin smiled and nodded his head. "You're right. I love you. I do love you." He wanted to convince himself that the love that he felt for her was true, that the love that he was feeling was not just a mere illusion like his master said it was.

"And I, you." Padme replied, smiling back at him.

She pushed herself up into a sitting position and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Anyway, we better get dressed." She said. She ran her fingers through his wavy dark brown hair. "First of all, Obiwan may already be looking for his missing apprentice." She cocked a brow and smiled slyly. "And I might have to set up another meeting with the Chancellor." Padme sighed at the mention of the 'Chancellor'.

"Oh." Was the only thing he could say.

He pulled the covers off of him and gently wrapped it around her naked body. He could barely look at her now. For some reason, he felt tired, like he was back in his old form again. Was it because she mentioned the Chancellor, his true self? Was it because it reminded him that he was not Anakin, that this morning and the night before was nothing but a false memory that he would soon forget? That in the long run, in the end, who she would remember would not be him, but the boy?

The cool morning air that blew through the balcony hit his tanned skin and made him quiver inside. He picked up his undergarments and pants from the floor and immediately put them on. Perhaps now was the right time to leave her.

/ "Leave her now." / He thought to himself. / "Leave her now while the thought of being with her in this illusion pains you. Feed on your pain. Feed on your suffering. You have always been good with that, so do it. You know you can never have her, so leave. Leave her while the wound is still fresh --- while the very sight of her alone stings and cuts deep within your soul. Leave her and forget her, as it should be." /

Anakin breathed in, and he turned around to look at her. She had just finished putting on her nightgown. Despite the fact that she had just woken up, she still looked so incredibly beautiful…As beautiful as she always was. Even the rising sun bowed to the beauty of her face, the beauty of her entire being. She smiled at him and he smiled in return.

He didn't know what he should say to her now. This was the part of the masquerade that he wasn't able to plan in its entirety. This was the part where he had to leave and say goodbye. And the truth was --- he didn't want to say goodbye…Not yet. The thought of it alone tore him in two. So he just stood there and basked in the light of the dawn as he took in as much of the sight of her as he could. For he knew, that once he walked out of her life, he would never see her looking at him in this way again.

Then he finally spoke. "You mentioned the Chancellor." He finally said. He walked to his tunic and picked it up. "And you didn't seem to speak happily about him." He hung the tunic over his shoulder. He might as well know what Padme truly thought of him. He wanted to hear the words from her own lips without the need to read her mind.

Padme sighed and her smile disappeared. She sat down on the bed and watched Anakin as he gathered his belongings. "I don't know, Anakin. It's just that --- Palpatine, the Chancellor…" She said, immediately correcting herself. "He seems reluctant to end the war. Peace seems like an impossible notion to him. I don't understand it either, Anakin. He had always been a peace-loving man. He's almost like a father to you and a mentor to me. But now he seems different. It's like the Palpatine we once knew had transformed into something --- something cold." There was worry in her face.

Anakin furrowed his eyebrows and pursed his lips into a taut line. So that was what she thought of him. She thought of him as a war-mongering cold-hearted monster. And that, of course, was the truth. That, he couldn't deny, even to himself. He had taken lives and tortured innocent souls in the name of power. He had broken peoples and manipulated them to become building blocks of his ultimate, untarnished plan.

"Don't you think…" He replied. "…that perhaps Palpatine's doing it all for the best? That he's doing it for you? For me? For the Republic that he wants to save?"

Lies. All lies. He was doing it for no one but himself.

"But Anakin, there may still be another way. Perhaps if we speak with Count Dooku, convince him that we are still open for negotiations, then maybe…"

"Then maybe what?" Anakin asked. A slight tinge of anger emanated from his voice. "He'll have you sacrificed in Geonosis again like a peace of meat ready to be slaughtered before thousands of Geonosians who hunger for your suffering? Is that what you want?"

He slowly walked towards her like a cautious cat. "We're trapped, Padme…Can't you see? We're all trapped in a position where we have no choice but to fight. If we don't fight, we lose. We die. If we offer them peace, those Separatists will look at it as a weakness and they'll eat us from the inside. And then we will fall."

In reality though, he, Palpatine, was the one who felt trapped…Trapped between his love for this damned woman, and his love for absolute power.

"You don't understand, Anakin." Said Padme, shaking her head in dismay. She couldn't believe that her beloved husband was siding with the Chancellor's decision. "I --- I don't want to say this, but I believe the outcome of the war will not depend on who wins it…It will all depend on the minds that make up the Senate, with me, being one of them. It's all politics, Anakin…All of it. We may win this war, but then what? What will the Chancellor do once he has ultimate control over the entire galaxy? And how will the Republic handle its sudden surge of power? I know politics has never been a part of your life and it is something that never interested you, but ---"

Anakin arched a brow. "You think I know nothing about politics?" He spoke slowly, almost inquisitively, and a sly smile crept up the corner of his lips. "You think I know nothing about your side of the galaxy? Is that it, Senator?"

He thought he'd switch the mood of their conversation into something lighter. Hearing her speak about the war and the Chancellor's reluctance for peace only made him think about his future as the Emperor…the future that didn't include her.

Padme softly giggled. "Well, yes." She said, smiling. "You never were into politics, remember? You always thought of it as something that involved finicky minded people gathering in a large room to decide on things they can never really agree upon. In fact, I am quite surprised that you have fallen in love with me --- a politician, a Senator." She looked at him with a teasing smile.

She, too, liked the sudden shift of their conversation. After all, she didn't want to trouble Anakin with her political problems with the Chancellor, especially since Anakin looked at the Chancellor as a dear friend and a father figure. The last thing she wanted to do at a time like this was to bother him with her political problems.

Anakin smiled. "That's because you're different. You're not like them, Padme. You --- you're special. You bring a sense of humanity and justice to the power-driven power-blinded world of politics. If it were up to me, I wouldn't mind it if you ruled the galaxy with the Chancellor after this war is over. It would do the galaxy good."

Palpatine couldn't believe the words he had just spoken. Did he just offer her a seat by his side? To rule the galaxy with Padme as his "queen"?

x x x x x

TBC :D!


	10. Here is gone

Yess! Chapter 10 is up :D! Once again, I THANK THEE ALL LOYAL REVIEWERS :D! Now without further ado…

x x x x x

Chapter 10: Here is gone

Padme laughed and shook her head. "Oh, Ani. You speak as if ruling the galaxy is as easy as sitting in a throne room and telling people what to do and what not to do. I'm afraid nothing in politics can be as simple as that." She sighed and looked at the balcony from which she could see buildings reaching out to the sky near her apartment.

"And after all, ruling the galaxy is the last thing I have in mind." She said softly. "I would probably decline it if it were offered to me. I'd rather guide the galaxy than rule it with absolute control. I also believe that the power to rule and decide should be distributed amongst wise and just men and women who want the best for their people."

Palpatine was overwhelmed by Padme's words. She always spoke so passionately about her beliefs, but hearing her speak about them in such a personal level added an aura of intensity and truthfulness that made him admire her even more. And despite the fact that she wanted a parliamentary rule and he wanted an empire, he still loved her for who she was. He wouldn't change a thing about Padme. Not a single thing.

Anakin arched a brow and crossed his arms over his chest. "Wise men and women?" He asked with a grin. "Perhaps you're talking about the likes of Bail and Mon Mothma?"

Padme crinkled her eyebrows in curiosity as she looked at him. But an amused smile slowly made its way across her lips. She was quite surprised that Anakin had mentioned Bail and Mon Mothma. Anakin barely knew them.

"Bail and Mon Mothma? Yes, they are good people." She nodded. "I would trust them with my life and the life of those I govern. And yet I'm quite surprised, Anakin. You speak of them as if you know them inside out." She looked at him quizzically.

Palpatine smiled --- an all-knowing smile. He knew she was gradually finding a lot of things different with her husband, but he was not at all worried by her sudden curiosity. Instead, he looked at it as an opportunity for him to become closer to her. What better way to converse with her but through the body of young Skywalker?

"Why, my love? Is it only through conversations with people when we can get to know more about them?" He asked, smiling. He sounded as if he was challenging her into some sort of a social debate. "Sometimes, observation is enough to learn about someone. Because when you watch them from afar and they don't know you're there, that is when you get to see them as a whole --- as who they really are."

Padme couldn't shake the feeling that her husband had somehow matured. But she liked it. She couldn't believe it either, but she liked his unexpected change. Could it be that his involvement in the war had somehow given him a broader view of the world?

"Like Orn Free Taa for example." He continued. "Looks like a nice fellow. Talks like a nice fellow. He says he has the best interest of the Twi'lek people in mind. And for that, everyone in the Senate loves him." He said matter-of-factly.

"Ah," Anakin raised his right mechanical index finger in the air and cocked a brow. "But what you don't know is that our Twi'lek Senator is far too indulgent and far too selfish for his own good. Have you seen his recent purchases? Other than that, do you know of his numerous and uncalled-for extravagant hobbies? If I were him I would rather direct my resources to the people who need me the most."

Padme was once again surprised by Anakin's words. Now he was talking as if he personally knew Orn Free Taa. Moreso, Anakin spoke as if he knew the ins and outs of the Galactic Republic. Something in her husband has truly changed, or rather, evolved. Had he suddenly taken an interest in politics to belong to "her world"?

She slowly stood up from the bed and walked to him. At that moment, she didn't care about Orn Free Taa and his extravagant lifestyle. She was far too overwhelmed by this "new" Anakin to really care about politics and the individuals who composed it.

"My, my, Anakin. Seems like someone's been doing a lot of observing lately." She placed a hand over his chest and smiled.

Her eyes lovingly gazed into his light blue ones as she looked at his handsome face. But it wasn't the perfection of his face that drew her eyes to his. She looked at him because she wanted to discover what was different with him. And the difference was not on the outside --- no. It was something deeper…something that only the heart can see.

"Is there something wrong, Padme? Have I said anything to offend you? If I sound like I'm intruding in your political life, then I'm sorry. I'll stop. I know I'm just a Jedi. I have no right to tell you what I think about the Senate and---"

"No." Padme immediately said as she shook her head from side to side. The smile on her face widened. "You're not intruding at all. In fact, I like it." She paused for a while and let the silence pave way to what she was about to say next. "I like you this way." She brought her hand up to his hair and gently brushed it with her delicate fingers.

Palpatine felt his heart skip a beat. He felt as if his chest had suddenly been filled with something and that it was going to burst. Did she just say that she liked him? Did she just say that she liked him as he was now? That she preferred him this way?

"I really do." She said happily. "Remember when we were in Naboo three years ago? Before we got married I told you that we belonged to two different worlds…I told you that I'm a Senator and you're a Jedi and because of that we could never be together. And now, here we are. I'm still a senator and you're still a Jedi, but…But…"

"But what?" Anakin asked. "But what, Padme? Please tell me."

She continued to stroke his dark brown hair. "But now, just this morning, everything feels different…Different, in a good way. Now I feel as if you belong to my world too. I feel like I could still be the Senator that I am and you'd still understand that side of me. I know I'm not making any sense. And you probably think I'm just imagining things, but something really has changed, Anakin…With you, and me. It's like a barrier between us has been shattered." She said as she looked at him.

"Maybe it's because I truly have changed. Maybe it's because I really want to become a part of your world, Padme. I know politics is a part of your life. And that is something I can never take away. But I want to be with you through it all. I want to become a part of the life that you live. For the past few years you've tried so hard to make your life fit into mine, and maybe it's time that I made mine fit into yours too."

But the truth was that he, as Palpatine, would never be able to change his life for her. That was now impossible at this point in time. Truth be told, that was never possible from the moment he started to fall for her. And yet, if he truly had become her husband, he would do as much as realign the moon and the stars if she asked him to.

Padme's confession also proved one thing to him. It proved that Anakin skywalker never deserved her. That boy had been too blind and too selfish to realize that Padme needed someone who could truly understand her, all of her.

She didn't need someone whose love for her was only skin deep. She didn't need an immature lovestruck boy who would only tell her how beautiful she was and how much he loved her like some obsessed fool. What she needed --- was someone who understood her in a higher level…Someone who would be willing to share every aspect of her life…Someone mature enough to love her in the way that she needed to be loved.

Someone like himself…

He suddenly felt her arms wrap around him.

"I love you, Anakin. I don't care if you change for me or not. I just want you to be yourself. I just want you to be who you are." She said softly. She closed her eyes and snuggled her cheek close to his chest. "As long as you love me, then that's enough. You're love is all I could ever need. It's all I've ever wanted from you."

He slowly slid his arms around her and held her close to him. He looked down and saw her eyes closed. A soft and tender smile was on her lips. She looked so safe and warm in his embrace, and the sight of it mangled his rotten heart with guilt. Because he knew that when the time has come for him to claim his rightful place as the emperor of the galaxy, he would need to destroy her very soul as he had planned.

He quickly looked away and stared at the open balcony. The city of Coruscant was once again bathed by the sun's morning light. Soon, soon, all of that would be his…even that which his eyes could not see. He held her tighter. The thought of having it all reminded him of the thought of losing her.

/ "Go now, Palpatine. Leave her while you still can. You know you have to. This is not your place. It never was." / He thought to himself. / "You have already done what you were supposed to do. You have claimed her. You have felt her love. And for once in your life you have actually showed love. And now, now is the time to let it all go."

He swallowed. / "Look at her. Go on and look at her." / He looked down and saw her still wrapped in his arms, comforted by his sweet embrace. / "She doesn't belong in your arms, Palpatine. You think you're comforting her by staying with her longer? You think you're showing her how much you love her by tricking her? You're doing nothing but giving her false hopes. And she is doing the same to you. Don't let your obsession with her blind you. Don't let yourself get attached to the very thing you will soon destroy." /

He took a deep breath and pursed his lips. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't know what to do now. A part of him was telling him that this was all a mistake, and that he should not have done this. His night with Padme did not set him free from his deep obsession with her.

His night with Padme had done nothing but make him love her even more.

He closed his eyes and composed himself. "I have to go." He finally said. His voice trembled as he spoke those words. He knew that this was the last time he would ever see her like this. When he said he had to go, he meant he had to go --- forever.

Padme opened her eyes and looked up at him. "I understand, Anakin. It's all right." She said, smiling. She traced his cheek with her fingers. "I know Obi-wan needs you. After all, whatever would he do without his heroic apprentice by his side?" She had a cheerful tone in her voice. She gently ran a finger down his lips and his chin.

Palpatine tried to hide the sadness in his eyes, be he couldn't. He couldn't even make himself smile. How could he be happy when he had to part with the only thing he had ever truly cared for? Why did he have to make love to her, taste her, feel her, touch her, claim her for one whole night, only to lose her in the rising of the sun?

He didn't know what to say as he looked into her eyes. He felt mute, like his words had blocked his own throat and were frozen in his mind. Nonetheless, were there even any words that would make this 'goodbye' less painful? Because the more he looked at her, the more he saw her smile and the more he stared back into her dark brown eyes, the more he couldn't say goodbye, and the more the pain grew.

"I really wish I didn't have to go." He said as he looked at her. "I really wish I could just stay here --- with you --- forever. But there are just some things in our life that we can not escape, even if the very thing we have to escape is ourselves."

"I understand, Anakin. I know. And that is why we have to part for now." Speaking those words made her heart ache. She couldn't stand the thought of being away from him again, but she knew that they had to say goodbye. "They need you out there and my people need me here. We both have duties to those who rely on us."

Her eyes looked deep into his. She wanted to hold him again.

"But when this war is over, when no more blood needs to be shed and both sides realize that there is such a thing as peace, then we'll be together again, Anakin. We'll be together again…Just you and me." She said with a faint smile.

Palpatine's swallowed, and his chest tightened as he heard Padme's words. He felt as if his throat had gone dry and his heart had stopped beating. He wanted to tear his eyes away from hers but he could not. He could not look away from the happiness that danced within her eyes as she thought of the future that he knew would not exist.

/ "If only it were that way, Padme…" / He thought to himself. / "If only we could really be together as you want us to, as I want us to…But that could never be." /

He knew, well enough, that when the war between the Separatists and the Republic was over, Padme would be gone. She would be dead. And he would spend the rest of his life emptied of her face, her smile, her touch, her fire. Then she would be nothing more but a mere memory. There would never be a 'just you and me' for them. Padme was placing her wishes upon a star that had already died…

"Anakin?" She asked, suddenly worried about the blank, confused look on her husband's face. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was keeping something from her. She gently held his face by the cheeks and encouraged him to look at her.

When Palpatine sensed her reluctance, he immediately pulled his face away from her hands and took a step back. His eyes that were once locked into hers were now looking away. "I'm sorry, Padme. I…I have to go. I have to." He said hurriedly.

He had to end this masquerade now before it reached the point wherein ending it would be unbearable torture. He had to leave now while he could still bear to part from her. To stay a second longer would be dangerous for his destiny.

He quickly turned away from her and stood still, contemplating his current situation. His eyes looked down at the carpeted floor as he closed his hands into fists. He knew that if he walked out of her bedroom door, he'd never step inside it again. This was the last time he would ever be in this room with her, standing there, not as Palpatine, but as Anakin --- Padme's beloved Anakin. This truly was goodbye.

His chest rose and fell as he breathed in and exhaled. "Goodbye, Padme." He said softly, sadness evident in his otherwise emotionless voice.

Before she could even place a hand on his shoulder, he quickly marched out of the bedroom, leaving Padme alone in her solitude. He didn't even bother to collect the clothes and accessories he had left on the bedroom floor.

x x x x x

TBC…


	11. Remembrance

Man, this chapter took a while…primarily because work's been keeping me busy and my laptop was in repair for two weeks! Waah! Anyway, the chapter's finally here :D! I hope you guys like it :D! And once again, THANK YOU for the REVIEWS :D!

Chapter 11: Remembrance

His brows were furrowed and his eyes were filled with dire determination as he walked away from her. His strides were long and swift and his hands were closed into tight fists. His lips were pressed in a straight line and his face was gaunt, while his jaw muscles were clenched. He looked determined to leave her this time. He wanted to leave it all behind. To leave her was his only choice. There was no other way.

He suddenly heard her shout out his name. Anakin, she said.

She said that he had forgotten his Jedi robe. But he did not turn around. He did not even glance. Hearing her only made him want to stay. He sensed her following him, probably to hand him the robe. But he didn't care about the robe. He just wanted to run. And so his strides grew faster in an attempt to escape her voice, her presence.

He made his way to the living room. His eyes were set on the door he had entered when he came to her as Anakin last night. And that too would be the door in which he would leave her today. The tunic he had picked up from the bedroom floor was still slung over his bare shoulder. The only piece of clothing that he practically had on him was his pants. But that didn't matter. He just wanted to go. Now.

She called out to him again, more desperate this time. Even without looking at her, he knew that she was still holding on to his robe. Though now she had stopped following him. She was now just standing outside their bedroom door, clutching onto the abandoned robe, as she watched him make his way to the entrance of the apartment.

"Anakin!" She cried out louder, in an attempt to make him look at her.

Why wouldn't he look at her?

She couldn't understand why he just stormed away as if he never wanted to see her again. He didn't even look into her eyes when he said goodbye. She felt as if she was the robe that lay limp and crumpled in her hands --- abandoned and left behind.

He reached out to open the door using the force. It was now the only thing that was keeping her to him. And then he heard her call out his name for the last time.

"Anakin! Promise me you'll return to me!" She cried out. Her voice was filled with sadness. "Promise me you'll be back! Promise me that when that time comes you'll walk into that door and never have to go away ever again."

Anakin's eyes widened. And at that moment, as if all reason had shattered and all destinies had been defied, he turned around and looked at her. His eyes gazed upon her form as she stood across the living room, holding on to his dark brown clothing. There was sadness on her face, a sadness that mixed with her natural beauty. He knew he should not have looked at her, but it was too late for that now.

Padme did not waste a split-second when she saw him turn around to face her. She immediately got to her feet and ran into his arms. She flung her arms around him and held him in a tight embrace. Her hand let go of the robe and it fell limply on the floor.

Anakin just stood there, looking lost and bewildered as he felt her arms wrapped around his midsection. His eyes nervously darted around the living room and his lips trembled while his mind swirled in confusion.

What now?

He shouldn't have turned around. He shouldn't have looked at her. Because now he back in the last place he wanted to be in at the moment. He was back in her arms, enveloped in her sweet embrace.

She closed her eyes and snuggled her cheek against his tanned bare chest. "Anakin…" She whispered. "I…I don't know why --- but…but…" Then she looked up at him and stared deep into his blue eyes. "…but I feel as if I'm never going to see you again."

She gasped at the thought and tried hard to fight back her tears. "I feel as if you're never coming back to me, Anakin --- and I can't bear feeling that. I need to know that you'll come back. Tell me that you'll come back. I need to hear it."

Anakin couldn't hide the sadness in his eyes as he looked at her face. How would he tell her that the Anakin she wanted to return was not her Anakin at all?

Without saying a word, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, hard and passionate on the lips. Their eyes closed and their embrace tightened with the kiss. Once again his lips were locked with hers. It would be the kiss that would mark the end of this little game…the kiss that would formally bring the plan to its end.

When the kiss ended, he looked deep into her eyes and ran his fingers down her cheek. And he whispered to her. "Think not of the future that is uncertain, my love. You need not hear it from my lips if I will ever return. Instead, think about today…Think about this moment. Think about last night. Remember when I returned to you when I shouldn't have. Remember how I made love to you. Think of me and love me as you see me right now. Remember what I told you…to never forget."

Padme's eyebrows furrowed. Why was Anakin saying this? He sounded as if he knew he was never coming back. "Anakin, I don't understand ---"

He gently placed a finger on her lips. "Hush." He said softly. "There is nothing to understand, Padme. Sometimes we just have to be colorblind and see things as they are."

Padme still couldn't understand. She looked like she was about to cry. What was Anakin trying to tell her? "I'm scared, Anakin…Scared of what's about to come."

He leaned forward and gave her a soft and brief kiss on the forehead. Then he gently tilted her chin up and looked into her eyes. "Take care, my lady." Those were the only words he said.

He took a step away from her and picked his robe from the floor. Then he looked at her entirety for the last time. He memorized her face and her body, and remembered how he had touched and caressed and made love to it the night before.

He memorized how her eyes were looking at him right now, for this was the last time she would ever look at him that way. Because the next time they meet, she would once again see him as the Chancellor, and all the passion and love in her eyes would be gone.

He silently slipped the robe over him while his eyes still focused on her still and silent form. Both of them seemed to have run out of words to say. And the silence continued, as he turned around and walked out of the door.

When the door closed, Padme gasped in emotional pain, and tears started to stream down her cheeks. She placed a hand over her lips as she sobbed. Her final moments with Anakin only left her feeling confused. He didn't even seem like himself at all.

She walked to the door and placed a hand over it, as if touching it would let her feel him again.

"Anakin…" She whispered, and tears continued to stream down her face.

x x x x x x

The man who had walked out of Padme's life now found himself standing outside her apartment door. The pain of leaving her still weighed heavy in his darkened heart. But it was inevitable. He had to leave her. He had no choice. If he chose to stay with her in the body of the boy, his life-long plan would crumble, and he, himself, would be trapped in the imaginary dream world he had weaved.

He pulled the hood lower over his face, closed his eyes, and let the illusion end. He felt Padme's essence slip away from his grasp as he let her mind go from his manipulation. And once again, he was Palpatine to the world --- old, tired, Sith-cursed Palpatine who would soon become the emperor of the galaxy.

His shoulders drooped and he sighed, a heavy and tired sigh which caused his chest to heave. He had been using the force to manipulate her since last night, with sleep as his only rest. And even sleep was cold and unforgiving no thanks to the grim dream that toyed with his tired and defenseless mind.

All in all, his little masquerade for Padme had left him drained inside and out. Even his physical body felt the pain. His muscles ached and his joints felt weak and his stomach felt knotted. Though deep inside, he was not sure if the pain was truly brought about by his extensive use of the force, or by the pain of leaving the only source of light in his life.

He pulled the hood even lower over his visage, protecting the pale face that had seen a million deaths. And he hugged the robe closer to him, shielding his compact frame from the cool morning wind and the eyes of the world.

After all, he could not risk being seen standing before Padme's apartment in such an --- attire. He could not even imagine the commotion that would follow if it was found out that the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic was found leaving Senator Amidala's apartment early in the morning wearing nothing but a dark brown robe and a pair of pants. He realized that he had not even bothered to put on his boots and his tunic. In fact, he had left most of his accessories on Padme's bedroom floor. He shrugged it off. Let those things be a testament that the night between them truly existed.

Then his eyes widened. He suddenly felt her in the force. She was crying. She was in torment and he could feel her pain. He could practically feel her tears streaming down his own cheeks. He slowly turned around and looked at the door.

/ "If you are thinking of going back, don't!" / Said the hissing commanding voice of his deceased Master Plagueis. / "Don't, Palpatine. You must not." / He yelled. The haunting voice echoed and bounced inside the walls of Palpatine's skull.

Palpatine clenched his hands into tight fists and stared at the door with eyes that reflected pain and determination. He knew that Plagueis was right. He should not let his love for her keep him from his destiny. But if that were the case, then why was he still standing there? Standing there as if still he had the choice to walk into that door and come back into her life? Why was it so difficult to leave?

He stepped towards the door, slowly and unsurely, and delicately placed his hand over it, right where Padme had placed hers. If the door weren't there, their hands would be together, holding and touching each other like the night before.

He felt the smooth, polished surface of the door against his fingers as he touched it. He looked at his hand as he pressed it against the surface. He could still feel her on the other side, weeping for him to return. If he could only tell her that he was still there, standing in front of her with only a few inches of fiberglass and durasteel between them.

"I'm sorry, Padme." He whispered.

Then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and used all the will and determination in his weakened body to turn away. And when his fingers slipped away from the door, he felt as if he was leaving a part of himself behind.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at the open space before him. He was not going to waste any second this time. This time, he was determined to leave.

He slowly raised his right hand in the air. His hand was open and outstretched as if each finger was attached to a puppet's strings. With the motion of his hand, a driverless grade-A Nubian speeder rose from its hiding place and hovered towards him. It stopped right in front of the landing platform of Padme's apartment.

Then he took one last look at the door, and remembered the night when Padme had loved him as he had wanted her to. He remembered the overflowing happiness in her face when she first saw him in the living room. He remembered the feeling of their first embrace, of their first hungry kiss. He remembered her smile and how she often touched his face and combed his hair with her fingers. He remembered the sound of her laughter. He remembered the sound of her voice. He remembered how it felt like inside of her, how it was like to love her and make love to her and not hold anything back.

He remembered every second and every moment, as if he had lived and died in her arms.

But those sweet memories, though sweet and perfect and untainted as they were, were bringing him nothing but pain and faded dreams and broken promises. And when the pain was too much to bear, he looked away.

Plagueis was right.

He did not belong there. His fate did not lie with her.

He belonged to place where Padme would never survive.

He belonged in the darkness.

No…He was the darkness.

Power without passion. Life without love. Darkness without light.

Such were the rules of his existence.

He did not hesitate as he climbed into the speeder…and disappeared from her life.

x x x x x x

TBC? Hmmm….


	12. Disturbingly familiar

YES! Chapter 12 is up :D! Here it is for all the wonderful reviewers who wanted more :D! We really don't want this story to end yet, don't we? Anywayz, I love you guys and gals, and I do hope you like this next chapter :D!

x x x x x x

Chapter 12: Disturbingly familiar

A full day had passed since Padme found herself alone again. Anakin, the love of her life, her husband, came back to her from the Outer Rim, alive and well, and spent a full night and day with her. They made love under the light of the moons --- made love in a way that made every fiber of her body tingle and burn in a myriad of pleasure and bliss. He was so passionate, so mature, so hungry for her.

He touched her like a man who was touching female flesh for the very first time. His kisses were sweet and passionately thirsty. He burned in her embrace and shivered in every touch. The Anakin that came to her two nights ago seemed too good to be true. He had grown, matured, flourished into the man she truly deeply wanted.

And now he was gone. He had to go, and she understood that. And yet his leaving brought her pain and fear. It pained her that after their wonderful night, after she had grown to love the newfound fire that burned within Anakin, he had to leave. And she was fearful that he might not return. She would give anything, everything, to find herself wrapped in his arms again, the arms that held her two nights ago.

"Padme, is everything all right?" Asked Mon Mothma's soft and concerned voice.

Padme, Mon Motha and Bail were on their way to their second meeting with the Supreme Chancellor, Palpatine. The prior one occurred two days ago, coincidentally on the same day when Anakin unexpectedly returned to Padme.

Padme's eyes trailed on the floor as she walked between Bail and Mon Mothma. She couldn't find the will to stare into Mothma's eyes. How would she even tell her friend what was truly going on in her mind? Mothma and Bail weren't even aware that she was married --- and to a well-known Jedi for that matter.

She managed to come up with a humble smile. "I'm all right, Mothma." She looked at Mothma. "It's just that --- this war…I don't even know if it will ever find its end."

"Perhaps we'll get through the Chancellor today, Padme." She rarely referred to Padme by her first name, but Motha found it more appropriate at the time. After all, she was addressing her more as a friend than as a political comrade. "We'll just have to open his eyes and make him realize what really needs to be done."

Padme looked at her, her eyes filled with hope. "I do hope so, Mothma. I do hope so."

x x x x x

Palpatine stood before the clear window of his office, hands tucked behind his back and light blue eyes gazing at the vast city that thrived beyond the transparent glass. He had stood like this for years, watching, observing, planning, as he carefully devised his victory, step by step, year after year after year…

His thin tight lips slowly parted and he gave out a silent sigh. His chest and shoulders rose and fell at the sound of it. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the blue horizon.

/ "Padme." / The name swam in his head, filling his mind like swirling wine.

He still could not forget the night when he had claimed her, the night when he had made love to her, masked behind the illusion of Anakin. It had already been two days since that night, and yet everything still felt so raw, so new, like a wound that refused to heal.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw nothing but her face. Even in his dreams she haunted him, tortured him, as he dreamt of the day when he had left her, again and again and again. He could still even feel the warmth of her touch against his skin. And his lips still carried the sweetness of her kiss, the kiss that he would forever taste.

He lowered his head, as if in contemplation. / "I could have stayed." / He thought to himself. He moved his hand down to his sides and closed them into tight fists. / "I had a choice. I'm the Dark Lord of the Sith. I could have stayed!" /

And the voice of Plageuis once again echoed in his head, answering Palpatine's own thoughts. / "Then that would have been the end of you, my apprentice." /

Palpatine closed his eyes and exhaled once again. He looked defeated. "Yes, Plagueis. That truly would have been the end of me." He whispered under his breath.

The door to the Chancellor's office opened, and Padme, Bail and Mon Motha quietly stepped inside.

Padme suddenly felt a slight shiver as she entered the room. Something about the place felt so disturbingly --- familiar. The scent of it alone triggered something in the back of her mind, something like a lost memory, or a dream, a dream she could not remember.

What was causing her senses to stir like this? Why now? Was it because she still felt so vulnerable and open after Anakin had left her two days ago?

She immediately shook the feeling away as she stepped deeper into the room accompanied by her two political comrades. Now was not the time to think of such things, more so matters that concerned Anakin.

She soon caught sight of the Chancellor standing by the huge transparent window. He was gazing at the city, standing still like a statue, with his hands by his sides and his back facing them. Did he even know that they were already there?

Palpatine's eyes widened. The lump in his throat bobbed as he swallowed, and his chest tightened when he sensed their presence, especially hers, Padme's. Just the mere notion of standing in the same room with her made him yearn for her again.

"Welcome, friends." He said in the calmest, friendliest tone he could muster.

He slowly turned around and flashed a faint smile. His arms were open in a welcoming manner. He looked at the three of them and couldn't help but briefly gaze into Padme's dark brown eyes. It was as if their eyes momentarily touched. Oh how he would love to see her looking at him again as she did two nights ago. But alas, gone was the illusion of Anakin Skywalker, and with it her love for him.

"Please do sit." He motioned his hand to the chairs in front of his spacious desk. "Make yourselves comfortable." The smile on his face lingered. Pretending to be nice to those blind fools Bail and Mon Mothma made him sick to his stomach. He personally couldn't wait for the day when they would be disposed of.

Mon Mothma nodded. "Thank you, Chancellor." She looked at her companions and the three of them settled on their own chairs.

Palpatine observed Padme as she sat down. He suddenly remembered the morning after, when he saw her sitting on the bed while he was dressing up. Oh how beautiful she looked against the warm morning sun, naked against the sheets, her smooth skin against the silken covers, her eyes looking at him, inviting him to wrap her in his bare arms.

He was then pulled from his daze when Padme looked back at him. And for a second or two, they found themselves looking at one another, their faces blank, as if both had been caught in a moment of surprise. Did she notice him looking at her?

"Chancellor Palpatine." The voice of Bail broke the awkward silence.

The Chancellor turned his head to look at Organa who was sitting parallel to Padme. "Senator Organa." He hissed. He was quite thankful of Bail's interruption. "You probably want to know of my decision about the war."

"Hm. It's almost as if you read my mind." Said Bail, looking as calm as ever.

Palpatine smirked. He didn't even need to read the man's mind. "Well, Senator. The war is still a war." He sat back and clasped his hands together on the table. "I'm afraid that the Separatist leader, Count Dooku, is still hesitant to engage in peace talks."

If they only knew that Count Dooku was truly working for him.

He looked at Mon Mothma and Padme. "The former Jedi wants our Republic to crumble. He wants us to recede and give in to his demands. Negotiating with him is out of the question." He breathed in and pressed his lips in a tight line. "We have no choice, my friends. It's either we win --- or we surrender. And this is a war I refuse to lose."

If they only knew that in the end, he would be the only winner.

Padme's hands gripped on the armrests of her chair. "Are you saying that we have no other choice but to keep on fighting? That the only way to solve this is to shed more blood? Can't we convince them that the republic is willing to comply with some of their demands? Is there no other way, Chancellor?"

Palpatine's eyes lowered, and then he looked at her. "I'm afraid not."

If she only knew how much he loved her.

"I can't believe this." She whispered softly. Her face and her voice reflected her sorrow. "It's like we're fighting a war that should never have been. If only we could have done something sooner. If we had said the right words, or done the right things, then ---" Her eyes trailed over Bail and Mothma. " --- then…If only…"

"If." Said Palpatine firmly. "If. But there are no 'ifs' now, my lady. Before our very eyes is a full scale war. And it's real, and it's happening. And now we have no choice but to stop it by winning it. We can not turn back time, Padme." His hands pressed flat against the smooth surface of his desk. He could feel the tension in his fingers.

"We just have to work with what we are given, and I, as the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, will use my powers to their full extent if it would bring peace to our galaxy." He said in a commanding tone.

Padme couldn't believe what she was hearing. What happened to the kind-hearted selfless Palpatine who had stood by her side for the past decade? Has he too succumbed to the greed and corruption of power and politics?

"Then we do hope and pray that you know what you're doing, Chancellor." Said Mon Mothma. "By using your emergency powers, you're practically placing the galaxy at the palm of you hand." There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Palpatine smiled, a sly and cunning smile. Then he clasped his hands together and leaned towards Mon Mothma. "Then you need not worry, Mothma." He said sarcastically. "I'll make sure that the galaxy will be in 'very' good hands." His lips curled as he emphasized the word 'very'. The smile on his face faded into scowl.

Mothma's eyes hardened as she returned Palpatine's look. She clenched her jaw in hate at the thought of Palpatine's hunger for power.

Padme looked at Palpatine, then at Mon Motha. She couldn't believe what was happening. Were the two getting on each other's nerves? Weren't they on the same side? They were comrades. They were both fighting for the Republic. Shouldn't they be working together? Could it be that Count Dooku's plan to deteriorate the Galactic Republic was now coming into fruition?

Bail too noticed the sudden tension in the air. He looked at Mon Mothma and placed a firm hand over hers. He knew that he had to do something before Mothma or the Chancellor said things that they might regret later on.

"We better get going." He abruptly said. "It seems that the Chancellor has already made up his mind for now." He glanced at Palpatine who was still glaring at Mon Mothma. "Perhaps it would be better if we let him contemplate on the decision he has made." He gently squeezed Mothma's hand again.

Mon Mothma took a deep breath and calmed herself. Then she pried her eyes away from the Chancellor and looked at Bail. "You are right. We better get going." She looked at Palpatine from the corner of her eye. "The Chancellor may need more time to think about the path he had chosen for our Republic." Her voice leaked a hint of hostility. "May he realize that our republic has no need for an 'emperor'."

Palpatine gritted his teeth and silently snarled under his breath. He squeezed his hands into clenched fists while retaining his composure. He was careful not to reveal the darkness and hatred that boiled within his calm exterior.

"I am so sorry that we could not find a better way to resolve this matter, Chancellor." Padme said as she looked at him. Then her face hardened. "Let's just hope that before one side wins, we would have already found a better solution."

/ "I'm afraid that it's already too late for you, or for me, Padme." / He thought to himself. / "I'm afraid we're past the point of no return." /

Padme, Bail and Mon Mothma stood up from their seats. Palpatine too, did the same as a sign of respect --- a respect that was all just for show.

Palpatine gave them a humble bow. "I, too, am sorry that this meeting had to end this way, my lady. But it seems as if you and I have different visions of peace."

"Let's just hope that the peace we want is of the same kind, Chancellor." Mon Mothma said. She seemed to be the most outspoken of the three political idealists. Then she forced a smile upon her crimson lips and returned his bow with her own. "Good day, Chancellor. We expect to see you in the Sah'c celebration tonight."

"I shall be there." Palpatine replied, his tone imposing. He almost sounded as if he wanted to follow his words with '--- whether you like it or not'.

Mon Mothma and Bail looked at the Chancellor for the last time, and walked out of the room as quietly as they had entered it. Padme trailed behind them, but stopped before she could reach the door. She suddenly furrowed her eyebrows. She remembered stopping like that during their last meeting too. But that was only because she heard someone calling out her name. This time, though, this time, it was different.

She slowly turned around and saw the Chancellor standing silently behind his desk, still looking at her. There was something about him that held her in place. She couldn't understand it, but there was something about him that made her want to stay.

She took a step towards him, her face filled with curiosity. "Your eyes..." She softly said as she looked at his cerulean eyes from afar.

His light blue eyes reflected the sunlight that shone through the huge glass window. There was something about them that reminded her of someone…Even the way he was looking at her felt so familiar. Who or what did he remind her of? Who? What? And why did his eyes cause her mind and stomach to stir in some kind of deep intoxication?

The door to the Chancellor's office opened and Bail's voice called out to Padme. "Senator Amidala, will you be joining us?"

Padme's eyes fluttered as Bail's voice pulled her from her daze. She looked as if she had suddenly woken up from a daydream. She swallowed, and then opened her mouth to say something to the Chancellor. "I…"

Her voice got caught in her throat and she turned her head to look at Bail and Mothma. The two were eagerly waiting for her on the other side of the doorway. She swiftly turned around to look at Palpatine again. "I better go." She said. "Good day to you, Chancellor."

She gave him a quick bow and immediately walked out of the room.

x x x x x x


	13. To Tame a Palpatine

YESS! Chapter 13 is up :D! once again, THANK YOU to those who were generous enough to review this story :D! It's always a delight hearing from readers and knowing that this story isn't as "whacked out" as I thought it was :D! lol! Anywayz, I hope this chapter was worth the wait :D!

x x x x x x

Chapter 13: To tame a Palpatine

"Did you try reasoning with him again?" Mothma asked Padme as the three of them walked down the intricately designed hallway.

Bail, on the other hand, still seemed shaken by the dispute that just occurred between Mothma and Palpatine.

"Well, no. Not really." Padme replied, briefly glancing at Mothma's direction. She frankly didn't know what to say.

Mothma raised her eyebrows and looked at Padme curiously. "Then, what took you so long? For a while there we thought you were going to stay and continue the argument that I had with Palpatine. After all, out of the three of us, you're the one who's the closest to him. You and the Chancellor have supported each other's endeavors for years. The man is practically your friend. I don't know about you, but if there's one of us who could convince Palpatine to rethink his plans, that person would be you."

Padme furrowed her eyebrows and smiled awkwardly, as if she found Mothma's words ridiculous. "I don't think so." She said, slowly shaking her head from side to side. "Things have changed, Mothma. Palpatine has changed." She sighed.

"He's so different now from the man that he used to be. It's like he's a completely different person. You should have seen what he was like back then, Mothma. He was kind, and gentle, passionate about his people and unselfish. And now I don't know where that man has gone. Even I can't believe what he's about to do!" She exclaimed.

"I guess that shows that good things and good people don't last forever." Bail said. "Sometimes, it is the things that you are certain of that change right before your very eyes. And when that happens, you usually can't stop them from changing." He spoke like a man who had experienced the ups and downs of the wheel of life.

"But --- that does not mean that those changes have to be bad…Some changes are good. Some changes need to happen to make way for better things, Bail." Replied Padme.

"Some, Padme…Some." He said, looking at her. "But I doubt that the Chancellor's change of heart is something that you can call 'good'."

Padme sighed and bowed her head. "It's all my fault. This is all my doing. I was the one who elected him Chancellor. I was the one who hand-picked him for the position. If it weren't for me, Palpatine wouldn't be where he is right now. If only I could have foreseen what he would eventually become…"

Her voice shivered with every word. She also spoke soft and low to protect their conversation from prying ears. If any of Palpatine's cohorts heard of what they were talking about they would be in great trouble. And the last thing Padme wanted at the moment was a political scandal to add to the already chaotic state of the Republic.

"It's not your fault, Padme. You couldn't have foreseen it. No one can see the future. Not even the Jedi or Master Yoda can do that." Mon Mothma said, in hopes of making her friend feel better. "Anyone in your place would have done the same. Back then, Palpatine was a good man, a politician's nobleman."

"But you cannot say that now, can you?" Padme asked, looking downtrodden. "I made a mistake." She whispered. "I never thought Palpatine would…"

Her voice trailed off into a faint sound. Then she looked away and her eyes focused on the arced windows that lined the hallway. "Power corrupts everyone. If you give one too much power, they end up wanting more and more and more, until they reach the point that they want nothing else but that."

"And in the end --- it destroys them, consumes them." Added Bail.

The three of them eventually reached the hangar where their ride was waiting. Captain Typho stood by the vehicle. The three of them remained silent as they boarded the Nubian transport ship. They still could not believe what their precious Republic had amounted to. The Galactic Republic was now left in the hands of a tyrant.

Padme sat by the window and looked out at the world that zoomed past by them. She then remembered what she himself had said earlier.

/ "Power corrupts everyone." / She thought to herself.

Did that mean that even the Jedi could be corrupt? That she, Bail, or Mon Mothma, if given the chance to hold unlimited power, would be corrupt and twisted and selfish too? What about Anakin? Would Anakin be corrupt under the same circumstance? No. Not Anakin. If there was one person in the universe who would never be corrupted by power, or the darkness, that would be Anakin. Anakin Skywalker was her savior. She believed in him. He was her hero. To her, he was perfect.

A soft smile spread across her cherry lips as she momentarily let herself drift into the memories of two days ago. Oh how she missed him…She remembered his sweet embrace, his kisses, his hunger for her, his devotion. She remembered the morning after when they got into a little tête-à-tête about politics. She actually found it enjoyable, that Anakin, for once, was genuinely into the political life that she was born to lead.

"Ani." She whispered softly, still holding the smile on her face.

"Padme…" Mothma said, interrupting Padme's little daydream. She was sitting beside her, while Bail sat in front of them. "You will be going to the Sah'c Celebration tonight, won't you?" She asked hopefully.

Padme's eyelashes fluttered as she faced Mon Mothma. She hoped her friend didn't hear her whisper Anakin's name. "I guess I have to. After all, every who is someone in the Republic's going to be there. And I don't want the Sah'cs to think that I'm snubbing their yearly celebration. I still can't believe that they're still going to celebrate though despite the ongoing chaos." She sighed.

Mon Motham raised a brow and smirked. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, they 'are' the Sah'cs…They own most of Sector H-46 and is one of the richest families in the whole of Coruscant. If they want to celebrate their wealth in a yearly basis by throwing huge elegant parties, they will. Not even an intergalactic war can stop them. They're their own kings and queens in their little sector."

Padme laughed and shook her head from side to side. "They are rather nice people though…A little greedy, but nice." She said, smiling.

Mon Mothma and Padme looked at each other and laughed faintly.

The wife of Skywalker calmed herself and looked at Bail. "Will you be joining us tonight too, Bail?"

He nodded and smiled. "I believe I will." He replied. Then his face took on a more serious tone. "If any of you are interested, the Chancellor will be there tonight. Perhaps we could try negotiating with him again in the informal setting of the party --- try to reach out to the humble side of him, if he still has one that is."

"I agree." Exclaimed Mothma. "Tonight may be a good time to try to convince the Chancellor to give up his emergency powers. Who knows? Maybe the jovial setting of the celebration will loosen him up a bit. I don't know if either of you have noticed, but for the past couple of years, he always seemed so protective about his position, as if he feared losing his seat at the top of the Republic."

"Well, anyone with as much power as he has would fear losing it too." Said Padme. "And that's probably why he doesn't want to let go of it."

"That's why we have to talk to him. Tonight." Insisted Bail.

Padme and Mon Mothma nodded in agreement.

"It's settled then. Tonight we shall try to speak with him alone and convince him to…"

"No." Padme suddenly said, cutting Bail off in mid sentence. "We must not gang up on him. Three of us against him would only make him feel threatened. And when he feels threatened, he'll tighten his grip on the power that he has. Try to pry a candy off a child and the child will do whatever it takes to hold on to it. But if you let the child have a bite of it, the child might consider to share."

"So we take a different route then." Said Bail, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Correct." Padme confirmed.

Mon Mothma spoke. "So --- what you're saying is that only one of us should try to reason with him…"

"That is right. That way, one of us could reach out to him on a more personal level…No politics, no talk of power, no Senators and Chancellors…Just one person talking to another, like a friend catching up on how the other is doing."

Bail and Mon Mothma looked intently at Padme. Their eyes bore into her as if she had just spoken the ultimate solution to their current problem.

"You're going to speak with him." Announced Mothma, pointing a finger at her.

Padme furrowed her eyebrows and looked at her with a hesitant expression on her face. "What? Me! But, but I'm the reason why he has that power in the first place! I was the one who made the mistake!" She exclaimed.

"And that is why you're the one who's going to negotiate with him. You placed him up there, you pull him down." Mothma had a rather playful tone in her voice --- commanding and stern, yet playful. Padme was her dear friend, and she loved her, but she couldn't help but find it rather humorous that the brave Padme Amidala was nervous and shaken at the thought of speaking with one man.

Padme bit her lower lip and turned in her seat to look at Bail. "Bail…" She said, hoping that he would counteract Mothma's plan.

Bail raised his brows and gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Padme, but I might have to go with Mothma on this one. After all, out of the three of us, you're the one who's closest to the Chancellor. You've been by each other's side for years. You practically know how his political mind works. You've seen him in action. He's been your aide. The man was practically your friend. And as you said so yourself, the person who needs to talk to him is someone who needs to talk to him as a friend, and not as a political adversary." He said matter-of-factly.

Padme still couldn't believe that they were actually going to use her as live bait for Palpatine. "I can't believe you two!" She complained, and slumped back on her chair. Then she sighed and looked at Mothma. "I really have no choice, do I?"

"Padme, look, I know it's going to be a longshot. We're not even sure if he'll really budge. But if you convince him to rethink his decision, if you make him realize the error of his ways, then you won't just be saving lives from both sides…You'll also be saving the Republic from the future that it has with Palpatine. Palpatine has gone off the deep end. He cannot be trusted to rule the Republic with a just hand. He's hungry for power and he's not the man he once was. He has changed…But perhaps…"

Mothma breathed in and looked at her with firm eyes. "…Perhaps --- you could reach out to the last remaining threads of the man that he used to be. Only you can do that, Padme. Only you can reach out to him. He trusts you."

Padme's eyes looked downwards over the floor. "And I used to trust him too --- used to, but not anymore…Not after everything that's happened." She looked back at Mothma, and this time, Padme's eyes burned with certainty. "I'll do it."

The three of them looked at each other, and nodded in agreement. They all hoped that tonight would turn to their favor.

x x x x x

TBC!


	14. The Celebration

Here come's Chapter 14 :D! Sorry if this one took an entire week. But lo and behold, it's finally here :D! WHEW! Really, thank you so much for all the reviews :D! They're definitely the reason why this fanfic is still going strong :D! Love you all :D!

By the way, before you continue, I present to you, the song "Strange and Beautiful" from Aqualung. It kinda suits one of the scenes from this chapter, and actually, the fanfic in general…

Strange and Beautiful

Aqualung

I've been watching your world from afar,  
I've been trying to be where you are,  
And I've been secretly falling apart,  
I see,

To me you're strange and you're beautiful.  
You'd be so perfect with me, but you just can't see,  
you turn every head, but you don't see me.

Chorus  
I'll put a spell on you,  
you fall asleep  
I'll put a spell on you,  
and when i wake you, I'll be the first thing you see.  
and you'll realise that you love me.

Chapter 14: The Celebration

Padme met her reflection when she stood before her dresser's life size mirror. She held a soft, silky white dress over her body as she looked at her mirror image. The dress was pure and simple, yet incredibly elegant and mesmerizing.

It was a flowing sleeveless gown…Bare above the chest, with a quarter of an inch silken strap on either side of the top to be tied behind the wearer's neck to hold it up in place. Padme's eyes wandered over the dress as she pressed it against the front of her body, trying to imagine how it would look like on her petite physique.

The dress itself had never been worn. Tonight was, in fact, her first time to take it out of her closet. She had acquired it some months ago, a gift from one of the merchant families in Naboo. And what a beautiful dress it was.

She really wished she could have shown Anakin the dress, but the galaxy had been in chaos for years now, and there was no time to play dress-up. She also couldn't find the perfect opportunity to wear it. To wear such a dress in a Senate meeting, or any ordinary meeting for that matter, would not do it justice. The dress was far too pure and far too beautiful and delicate for such a rash thing as a Senatorial meeting.

But tonight, tonight she would wear it.

Padme carefully turned the dress around to see what the back portion looked like, and a soft smile curved up her lips. On the back of the dress were two embroidered patterns that looked like small angel wings. One would barely see the embroideries because the threads used to embroider them were colored white like the dress, but nonetheless, it brought a smile on her face. She ran her fingers over them, tracing the patterns.

She then remembered the time, many, many years ago, when a little boy the age of eleven had called her his angel. Yes, tonight, she would truly be an angel of embroidered wings. She giggled…an angel of embroidered wings…no…Anakin's angel…His angel.

Her shoulders rose and lowered as she took a deep breath and exhaled. If only Anakin could see her tonight. But alas, even if Anakin were here, she doubted that they could openly meet and interact in public eyes.

x x x x x x

The sun set and the moon rose to illuminate the darkened starlit sky. Well-known people of different races and origins could be seen entering the tall gates of the grandiose mansion of the Sah'c family, located in the wealthiest city of Section H-46.

The guests were composed of aristocratic families, political figures, businessmen, media tycoons, and famous artists, all from all over the galaxy. It was a party exclusive for those, and only those, who had been invited. No more, no less. The Sah'cs preferred to associate themselves with people who could be of help to them in the future.

After waiting for the other guests to step out of their vehicles, Padme's personal armored Nubian speeder drove before the entrance of the mansion. An usher dressed in a dark red elegant suit immediately walked to the door so as to assist the newly-arrived guest.

The door to the back seat opened, and Padme, dressed in her white angelic dress, carefully stepped out. Her long, fitting dress flowed down her slim frame, its bottom brushing against the concrete floor. Her bare shoulders were accentuated by the dress' design, and her hair was held up in a flattering bun-like hairdo. Her face, unlike when she was the queen of Naboo, was void of any lavish make-up.

And as if she were in a dream, everyone's eyes, whether it be the guests entering the mansion or the ushers assisting the guests or the guards stationed by the entrance --- almost everyone standing by the lobby had their eyes on her.

She could see them glancing at her, as she made her way up the stairs and to the huge doorway that served as the entrance to the mansion. Most of them even tried to hide the fact that they, too, were looking at her.

Funny, really, that she had never attracted this kind of attention during scheduled meetings and public events. Was is it because something was different with her tonight? Was it the dress? Was it the hair? Did they really find her beautiful? Nevertheless, a meek, nearly invisible smile spread across her glossy lips. She couldn't help but feel slightly flattered by the people's unspoken compliments.

The stares and glances continued as she walked gracefully through the door, and as expected, the people who first welcomed her inside the mansion were also taken aback by her elegant and untainted beauty, especially the men.

But they were the least of her concerns as she stepped inside. Instead, her eyes were filled with awe at the sight of the living party in front of her. The celebration was as extravagant, rich and as elegant as the Sah'cs claimed themselves to be. From the looks of it, it had to be the most expensive and well-planned Sah'c Celebration ever.

From where Padme was standing, she could see everything. The portion of the hall by the main doors, where she was standing right now, was elevated by a tall flight of stairs. That was why whenever newly-arrived guests came in, everyone could see them. So she just stood there, taking in the entire view of the party.

The main hall of the mansion was huge…Huge enough to accommodate each and every one of their guests, and still leave enough room for chairs and tables and musicians and statues and dancing and mingling.

Silk cloths and laces of the most expensive kind draped the windows and tables of the hall. A huge, crystal chandelier composed of more than a thousand pieces of glass and illuminating gems hung over the center of the room. Lights of different shapes and sizes could also be seen accompanying the chandelier in the decorated ceiling. The floors on the other hand, were made of marble and had intricate designs on them.

At the far western side of the hall was a grand stage lined with white lights, and beside it were the musicians, all of them playing classical instruments and classical music to fill the air with auditory pleasure, and to accompany those who were in the mood to dance.

On the farthest side of the hall, across the dance floor, were two flights of stairs, leading up to the inner hallways and rooms of the mansion. Between the bottom of those stairs was a beautiful fountain, and in front of it was a long table filled with foods and delicacies that came from different planets and cities, each one prepared to satisfy the taste buds of the Sah'cs myriad of guests.

The guests' attires, too, matched the theme of the party. Everyone was in their most formal, glamorous attire. Truth be told, Padme's dress was probably the simplest in the room, and yet she was one who seemed to attract the most attention.

Her eyes surveyed over the people in the party. Where could Bail and Mothma be? She doubted that they weren't there yet. Those two were always early, and she was already an hour late from their agreed upon time of seven o' clock. Perhaps Bail and Mothma had found a table on the far side of the hall near the buffet.

Unknown to Padme, a distant pair of cerulean eyes was observing her in return.

The Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was standing near the fountain and was conversing with the head Sah'c when Padme walked into the main doorway. And when he felt her presence in the hall, he couldn't help but turn his head and silently look at her.

"Chancellor Palpatine?" Asked Sentius Sah'c when he noticed the Chancellor's sudden distraction.

But Palpatine didn't answer him. He was far too entranced and far too hypnotized by the svelte, angelic figure that walked into the room. He felt as if time itself had stopped while he stared at her from afar. She was angelic. She was striking. She was perfect. She was truly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Ever.

For him, Padme lit up the dull, pretentious party like a lost morning star. She was worth going to the celebration for. And she looked even more beautiful as she stood there, on top of the flight of stairs by the main doorway, like a princess waiting for her prince to welcome her and pull her into slow, seductive waltz.

By gods, she truly was perfect. Her dress also accentuated her beauty even more. The dress was revealing, to say the least, and quite unlike the dresses she had worn before in public. It exposed her smooth, bare shoulders and emphasized her tight, petite figure. The dress was pure white, like her soul, and clung to her form like soft silk. He couldn't help but wonder why she had chosen such an attire tonight.

Either way, like a moth drawn to an ebbing flame, Palpatine took two steps away from Sentius Sah'c and towards the direction where Padme was waiting. His light blue eyes were still focused on her elevated form. Oh how he was used to watching her from afar…always out of his reach, never his to keep, or to touch.

Once again, he found himself under her spell.

"Chancellor, Palpatine? Is there anything you need?" Asked Sah'c, still wondering what it was that had the Chancellor's attention.

Palpatine looked at Sah'c and smirked. / "Oh I do have something that I need, something that I want…But I doubt that you can give it to me, my friend." / He thought to himself. But instead, he said. "I'm fine, my good man. I just --- thought I saw someone I knew."

Padme's eyes widened with delight when she saw Bail and Mothma making their way through the crowd to meet her on the foot of the stairs.

"Bail! Mothma!" She smiled as she waved at them. She daintily pulled the bottom of her skirt up and carefully ran down the stairs.

"Padme! You look wonderful!" Mothma said gleefully.

Padme smiled coyly, almost blushing. "Thank you," She replied.

"That dress…" Mothma continued as she looked at her from head to toe. "I've never seen you wear it before. Did you just purchase it?"

"Oh, this?" Padme twirled around and laughed. "It's been in my closet for months, a gift from a family from Naboo. Do you like it?"

Mothma smiled and nodded her head enthusiastically. "It looks beautiful on you, Padme. Really. In fact, I'm quite surprised you've never worn it before."

"Well, I just couldn't find the right occasion." Padme replied, smiling.

Bail suddenly interrupted the two young women's tete-a-tete. "Sorry to interrupt your fashion talk, my dear ladies, but Padme, we seriously thought you weren't going to make it." He said, holding up his glass of Alderaan's finest wine. "If I remember correctly, we agreed to meet at seven, and it's almost ten. You're --- a little late." He said, raising a brow, though the playful tone in his voice showed that he was merely teasing her.

Mothma smirked and rolled her eyes. Then she leaned forward towards Padme and Bail so that whatever she was going to say was going to be heard by their ears and their ears alone. "Bah, ignore Bail. He was quite worried that the Chancellor would have already left by the time you arrived here." She whispered. "You know Palpatine…He rarely stays in public events late enough to actually see them end."

Padme's eyes widened. She had almost forgotten about their plan to befriend their way into the chancellor's good side.

Mothma immediately noticed the dumbfounded look on Padme's face. "You're still up to it, aren't you?" She asked, hoping for a positive answer.

"You have to, Padme." Said Bail. "You're the only one who can convince him to change his mind. He trusts you. He's more open with you than any of us."

Padme immediately composed herself. And she looked certain this time. "I know, Bail." Then she looked at Mothma and smiled firmly. "And don't worry, Mothma. I'm still up to it. Let's just hope that the Palpatine I once knew is still there, because if he is, then the galaxy may still have a chance. We may still have a chance."

Mothma and Bail looked at each other, and then they looked at Padme.

She knew what that look meant. It meant go for it. Padme then breathed in, stood up straight, and slowly exhaled. She looked as if she were ready to march into battle.

"Where is he?" She asked confidently. She couldn't wait to speak with the Chancellor. The sooner she spoke with him, the sooner they would resolve this issue.

"The last time we saw him, he was speaking with Sentius Sah'c by the fountain, across the dance floor, near the two long flights of stairs over there." Mothma turned her head to look at it. It was on the farthest side of the grand hall.

They could barely see where Palpatine was, with the distance of the area, and the hundreds of people mingling and dancing in the hall.

"Oh yes, I know where that is. I saw it when I came inside." Padme replied.

"Do you want us to accompany you to him?" Bail asked, feeling rather protective of her. Ever since the Chancellor's sudden change of heart, he never felt comfortable in his presence. Something just felt wrong with Palpatine.

Padme smiled, a sweet comforting smile. "Bail, I'm going to be all right. I'm a big girl now, okay?" She said in the most assuring tone she could muster. "After all, if he sees me with the two of you, he might smell foul play."

She looked at them both. "Everything's going to be fine. I promise. And I'll do the best that I can. I put him up there, and I'm going pull him down to our level no matter what it takes. I'll make him listen. I will."

"We know, Padme." Mothma said. "We know you can do it."

Padme smiled and nodded her head. Then she took one step away from them, and gave them a courteous bow. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have someone to attend to."

She turned around, and walked away to where Palpatine was.

x x x x x x


	15. Close Proximities

Chapter 15 is up :D! Heheh…yeah, I guess the previous chapter was a little more like a teaser :P. But to those who can't wait to see what's going to happen next, (And that means you, Selina :P! Heehee) here it is :D!

PS: Palpatine is evil and I abhor him (Should I even be saying this here?)

x x x x x x

Chapter 15: Close proximities

The number of eyes that glanced her way continued to grow as she walked across the hall. She met and greeted a number of people along the way. Most of them recognized her, of course, especially those who've been in the Senate for as long as she had been in public service. Some of them wished for her company, but she had to excuse herself for she had --- an important matter to attend to, a matter that could not be set aside.

She soon reached the dance floor. Palpatine should be standing somewhere across, where the fountain and the buffet were, if he was still there of course. She lifted her head up and tried to stand on her toes in an effort to see if he was still on the other side. But with all the people dancing to the tune of Vaun de Valdi's slow waltz, she could barely see him, or recognize anyone on the other side for that matter.

Then by stroke of luck, her eyes found Sentius Sah'c, no thanks to the man's glittering, kingly robe. And in front of Sentius Sah'c, was none other than Chancellor Palpatine. The two gentlemen were busy talking.

Padme narrowed her eyes as she observed the Chancellor. He had a gentle smile on his face as he talked with the head Sah'c. Perhaps she had caught him at a good time. He seemed to be in a light-hearted and jovial mood tonight.

As usual, the Chancellor was wearing a simple yet elegant attire. He never really was as visually extravagant as the likes of Sentius. He had always been simple, even now when he was hungry for unlimited power.

Palpatine was wearing a maroon buttoned up long coat with crimson red buttons and linings. Inside the coat was a white high-collared suit that snuggly fit his tight, medium frame. He was wearing plain black custom-tailored pants and plain black boots. Simple, yet elegant, and unlike his typical Nubian robes, his attire tonight was not flourishing with drapes and huge, round sleeves.

Padme inhaled and pressed her lips together. What was she going to do now? He was there. She had found him. So shouldn't she walk there and speak with him? Was she just going to stand there like a droid and stare at him all night long? Should she get his attention by calling out his name? What would be the best way to approach him?

She continued to stare him from across the dance floor. She saw Sentius walk away. Sentius seemed to have excused himself from their conversation. Then, as if it was destined to happen, Palpatine turned his head to where she was, and their eyes locked.

Padme's eyes almost widened with surprise. It was as if Palpatine knew she had been staring at him all this time. And now they were looking at each other…Just looking. Padme swallowed. He was just standing there, staring at her, as people danced and waltzed between them on the dance floor. But then, she too, was just standing there.

And so Padme did the safest thing she could do at the moment. She smiled at him. And much to her surprise, he smiled back, and it was a genuine smile, like how a good friend would smile to someone he hadn't seen for a very long time. It was the kind of smile that was saying "How have you been? It's so nice to see you."

Padme couldn't help but laugh and cover her lips as Palpatine continued to smile at her. Well she definitely didn't remember planning this as a part of her operation, but at least they were off to a good start. A smile was always a good start.

She saw Palpatine's smile widen at the sight of her laughter. Even his light blue eyes smiled. He truly looked comfortable and light-hearted tonight. He almost reminded her of the kind-hearted upbeat Palpatine who was by her side during and after the Battle of Naboo. Perhaps it was still not too late to bring that man back.

Palpatine, without withdrawing his eyes or his smile from her, placed his hands behind his back and slowly walked left, as if there was an invisible barrier that was stopping him from going forward to where she was.

Padme furrowed her eyebrows for a split-second as she continued to smile at him. The Chancellor was definitely acting odd, almost as if they were in some kind of silent smiling-staring game. He arched a brow at her, in a "what? are you just going to stand there?" look and she couldn't help but smile wider. What was he up to?

She tip-toed again and tried to raise herself from the floor as more people started to crowd in the dance floor. She could barely see the Chancellor now. He had walked away from her line of sight, and the people in front of her sure weren't helping.

Without further ado, she stepped forward into the dance floor and shifted her way through the dancing crowd. Most of the people were couples, men and women, dancing in each other's arms. And who can blame them? The music that was currently playing was slow and romantic and accompanied by a set of violins that filled with air with a beautiful tune that could sway one's soul.

"Excuse me, please." She pleaded as she pushed through the crowd.

Needless to say, some of the guests were definitely rude. Some of them didn't even care to move from their place despite the urgency in Padme's voice. She tried to excuse her way through a group of Rhodians, but they just sneered at her and ignored her pleas. When she tried to squeeze her way pass them, she suddenly yelped in distress when a protruding accessory from one of the female Rhodians' attire briefly snagged the strap of her dress and almost pulled it loose.

Padme immediately held the strap back in an attempt to tighten it, when another couple, who seemed too entranced with one another, bumped into her, causing Padme to stagger forward and almost lose her balance.

She swore she was about to bump into another dancing couple, when she suddenly felt a hand around her wrist. The mysterious hand pulled her quickly, and as she rolled into its arm, her eyes widened with surprise as she found herself face to face with Chancellor Palpatine. His arm was wrapped around her, holding her close to him, and the hand that had pulled her settled firmly on the small of her back.

"Don't worry. I got you." He said softly as his light blue eyes looked deep into her dark brown ones. His voice was calm and comforting, caring and concerned. Their faces were merely a few inches away from each other.

"Chancellor!" She exclaimed, sounding as surprised as she genuinely was.

"Surprised to see me, I see." He replied, smiling. "Perhaps you were expecting someone else?" He asked inquisitively. "Are you looking for someone?"

Palpatine had made a decision. He wasn't going to read her mind tonight. Tonight, her mind would be a blank slate to him. For once, he was going to let himself flow with the uncertainty of life. He wanted every word of their conversation to be natural and uncalculated. He wanted their every move to be unexpected and unpredictable. After all, what would life be without a little element of surprise?

Padme smiled. "Believe it or not, I was actually looking for you." She couldn't believe how comfortable she felt in his presence. It was almost as if they had never lost the camaraderie they once had when Palpatine was still a Senator, and she, a young queen.

The Chancellor chuckled. "Oh, I guessed you were. With how you were looking at me from across the room, I could tell…Wouldn't take one to read your mind to know that." He couldn't help but smile inside. Read her mind indeed.

"But you have found me instead…Saved me, in fact. And for that, I thank you, Chancellor." She said graciously. If he hadn't grabbed her in time, she truly would have fallen over and caused a commission.

Palpatine's face was suddenly serious and he leaned closer to her. "I see you were having a little trouble earlier." He said in a low, modulated voice. Then his eyes wandered over the Rhodian aristocrats who ignored Padme's pleas to be excused.

Padme followed the Chancellor's line of sight and saw him looking at the Rhodians. From the dull glare in his icy blue eyes, she could tell what he was thinking. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine, Chancellor. Ignore them."

He exhaled and looked at her. "I saw how they treated you, Padme. They were rude and inconsiderate, and I won't allow that. No one has the right to treat you that way."

"Maybe they just had a bad night." She said, in hopes of calming his nerves.

"Give me the word and I would personally escort them to the front doors. I mean it."

She placed a hand over his chest, and looked firmly into his eyes. "Chancellor, it's all right. I'm all right. You don't need to do such a thing for me." She smiled, assuring him of her fine state. "I'm okay, see? I'm fine. Well, perhaps a little shaken, but not hurt. Not even offended. Trust me…I'm going to be all right."

"If you say so, my lady." Said the Chancellor. He nodded his head in a small bow.

Then he noticed the loose strap of Padme's dress. It was the strap that was accidentally hooked by one of the Rhodians' fashion accessories. "Your dress…" He said, as he motioned a hand towards her shoulder.

"Oh…Oh!" Padme exclaimed. She had almost forgotten about it.

She immediately placed a trembling hand over the loose strap and quickly moved her fingers to the back of her neck, hoping that the knot that was holding her dress up was still there. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the straps still tied together, though now, the knot was a little loose. She knew she would then have to untie the straps and tie it together again to make the knot tight and secure.

Her hands continued to hold the straps behind her neck as she embarrassingly looked at the Chancellor. "Excuse me, Chancellor...But I'll have to attend to --- something first."

"Let me." Palpatine offered.

Padme's cheeks reddened. Was she really going to let the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic do something as menial and as common as tying the straps of her dress, and in view of public eyes? But before she could say anything, the Chancellor stepped forward towards her, and carefully moved his hands behind her neck. She didn't even have the time to turn around to make the back of her neck more accessible to him.

She moved her hands down to her sides to give him enough room. She was practically pressed against him. Her face was less than an inch away from his chest. He leaned over her shoulder as he carefully untied the loose ribbon.

"Don't worry, I'll make it quick." He said softly, a smile on his face.

He gently pulled the two straps together behind her neck and delicately started to tie them together into a tight, snug ribbon. Padme closed her eyes and let the Chancellor assist her. She couldn't believe how careful and gentle and delicate his hands were. But then, she had never really been in such close proximity with him like this before.

She inhaled deeply, and her smooth bare shoulders rose and fell with the rhythm of her breathing. The exquisite scent of him reached her nose, and the scent, it was so familiar. She knew she had encountered it somewhere before…but from where? And from whom? And how come it lulled her into deep heavenly daze that made her insides tingle?

"There. All done." He told her.

Padme's eyes snapped open. She felt as if she had awoken from an aromatic dream. The Chancellor was in the process of moving his hands away from her, when another dancing couple accidentally bumped against Padme again. The impact of the bump was hard enough to push her forward, and as an act of reflex, she suddenly threw her arms around the Chancellor and clung to him to keep her footing.

The Chancellor, too, out of reflex, wrapped his arms back around her.

Palpatine immediately looked down to check on the woman in his arms. "Are you all right?" He asked. His face and voice was filled with genuine concern.

He did not want Padme to notice, but his blackened heart almost skipped a beat when he suddenly felt her against him. Oh --- if he could only hold her in a different circumstance, hold her in a way that was non-accidental.

Padme's eyes widened when she realized what she had just done. And the fact that she was still clinging to him was not helping either. She looked up and met his eyes for a split-second, and immediately detangled her arms from his mid-section and took a quick step back. Needless to say, she felt incredibly embarrassed with her impulsive action.

"Yes…I'm --- I'm all right." She said graciously. Then she gave him an apologetic bow. "I am so sorry if I have been such a burden to you tonight, Chancellor."

Palpatine smiled and shook his head. "Never be sorry with me, Senator. I would gladly act as your support and valiantly save you from inconsiderate crowds if the need arises again." He was teasing her. "After all, Padme, it has been a while since we've been together in such an," His eyes darted around the room "--- informal setting."

Padme smiled too. "True. It really has been a while, Chancellor."

"Please…Palpatine." He spoke his name softly, lovingly. "Just Palpatine. That is my family name, as you know, and it is just right that you call me such. Forget about me being the Supreme Chancellor for tonight. Chancellors belong in the Senate and in the office, and we're neither standing in one of those now, aren't we, my dear?" He gave her his trademark smirk. "After all, I've been Palpatine far longer than I've been the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic." He rolled his eyes at his title.

A soft laugh escaped from Padme's lips. She was quite amazed with how easy it was to get him into such a light-hearted, friendly mood.

"Yes. You're right, Palpatine." She replied. Then she stood up straight, pulled her shoulders back, and displayed a proud smile. "And so tonight, I too shall be Padme to you. No Senator, no long titles like Padme Amidala Naberrie of Naboo. Just plain…"

"Padme." He spoke her name as if he was saying it for the very first time.

And so the two of them stood there in the middle of the dance floor, freed from the constraints of their political titles, as they looked at one another. And in that moment, Padme knew she had once again found the Palpatine she was looking for.

x x x x x x x


	16. Between real friends

WH00! Now this is a pretty lengthy chapter. I really hope it's well worth the wait for you readers :D! Thank you so much for sticking with this story through 16 chapters :D! So, whaddya say we get this show on the road? o

Chapter 16: Between real friends

The current song gradually ended, and the next one played. The next song began with a slow and mellow piano solo. Each tune, each note, expressed its own emotion as the pianist smoothly connected one note and chord from another. It was as if the song itself was telling a love story, and each note composed each word.

The sound of a violin gradually filled the air and it accompanied the piano's soft and alluring music. The violin's smooth tune slid and sang and contoured itself to the rhythm of the piano, until the piano's music faded, and the violin's sound reigned. And the two instruments, the powerful and moving violin, and the subtle piano, intertwined in the air, filling the room with a slow and moving duet.

Padme turned her head to gaze upon the musicians as if their music had called her name. Her face was filled with awe and wonderment as she watched them play. Then she looked back at Palpatine and did not hesitate to speak her mind.

"The Song of Violette." She said softly, referring to the ongoing musical piece.

Palpatine smiled. "Ah, so you know of it too. Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. It has always been one of my favorites." She replied and returned his smile.

Palpatine stepped towards her and bowed, then he looked at Padme and offered her his hand. "Then would you care to offer me this dance, my lady?" He asked. "It would be such a pity, if the most beautiful woman in this room were not dancing with anyone."

The smile on Padme's face spread from ear to ear, and she swore she felt herself blush, not because she felt amour for Palpatine, but because of her current situation. No one had ever asked her to dance before, furthermore to the Song of Violette. And there was something about the way Palpatine had asked her, that made her feel so special.

"I would love to." She said as she took his hand.

Palpatine gently pulled her close to him and delicately slid his arm around her. His hand once again found its way to the small curve of their back. Their eyes locked as she pressed against him, and neither of them spoke as they slowly danced to the rhythm of the song. They just looked at each other and smiled, as if that were conversation enough.

Padme's hand run up his chest and settled on his shoulder. Her fingers gently pressed against his flesh through his coat and suit.

She had never been this physically close to Palpatine before. It was practically her first time to see him this near. And as she gazed upon his face, she couldn't help but feel surprised with how different he looked at the moment.

His face was gentle and caring. Its humble expression and his kind smile emanated a feeling of warmth and valiance, unlike the cold, calculating and criticizing face of the Supreme Chancellor. And his eyes, his eyes were of bright blue. They were like the sea, deep and unending, and as crystal clear and as pure as the bluest, brightest sky.

Padme suddenly felt a slight tingle in her stomach. And she remembered how she had commented on the Chancellor's eyes earlier that day. She almost told him that his eyes reminded her of someone --- someone she could not remember, but could not forget.

But now was not the time to think of such musings. They were in a celebration. And she was dancing to the beautiful Song of Violette.

A soft laugh escaped from her lips and her eyes glanced downwards.

"Padme?" Palpatine asked, smiling at her secret laughter. Oh how beautiful she looked whenever she laughed or smiled.

Padme cast her eyes on him. "Sorry. It's just that --- well, when I was a little girl, years before I was appointed queen of Naboo, I would sometimes stay in my room and listen to this song all day. I would close my eyes and imagine myself dancing with my prince in a beautiful ball. And everyone would look at us and saw how in-love we looked."

She laughed again. "It's not important, really. Just a silly immature wish I had back in those days when I didn't know any better."

Palpatine laughed and thought he would play along. "So, have you done it?" He asked.

She furrowed her eyebrows and looked at him curiously. "Done what?"

"Danced in a grand ball with your prince charming." He replied. "Dreams can come true if you want them to, you know. You just have to make it happen."

She smiled and shook her head from side to side. "Oh, no. To be honest with you, I've never danced to this song with anyone before…Well, until now of course."

Palpatine smiled sadly. "If only I were you prince, then your wish would have already come true. Sorry if I'm not that man."

"Palpatine!" She softly exclaimed, smiling at him. Then she realized that she had just called him by his name without the title of Senator or Chancellor preceding it for the very first time. It felt awkward, but strangely comfortable.

She gave his shoulder an assuring squeeze. "You don't have to be the man." She said firmly. "For you to have offered me this dance is good enough. And for that, I thank you, from the bottom of the heart of the little girl who had wished for it."

"So I've not disappointed you? After all, a beautiful young woman like you should be dancing with a dashing young man…Not a stiff, stubborn Chancellor who has withered with age." He kept his eyes on her as he spoke.

"Palpatine, please…I do not need someone young, or dashing, or charming. Who I need --- is someone I can connect with…Someone I can speak to --- as a friend." She said, smiling. Then she looked at the people around them and surveyed the men, and after a few seconds, looked back at him. "I could probably pick the handsomest man in the room…Like that young man over there for example." Her eyes darted over the incredibly handsome young man who was standing by the fountain.

Palpatine raised his brow. "Handsome young fellow." He commented. "He looks like the prince of childhood fairytales and little girls' wishes…Perfect in every way."

"True." She said. "But then, if I go there and speak with him, what would we talk about? He probably knows next to nothing about who I am or what I do or the life that I live. He and I will just end up talking about the party and the food and the stars and the sky and my dress --- or something. But in the end, he still doesn't know who I am. He'll just remember me as Senator Amidala, the girl he met at the party, the face he sees in the holo-projectors, and the name that he hears in the news."

"Well you're a picky one." He joked.

"I'm not picky. I just want something deeper." She replied.

"You're complicated then." He answered back.

"You're being too observant." She refuted. A sly smile crept up her lips.

"You're being defensive." He barked, smiling back.

"And you're being too inquisitive for your own good." She finally said.

Palpatine shrugged. "Hmm. I believe so. But who could resist learning more about a girl who's a puzzle to anyone but herself?"

And they both laughed.

"It really has been a while, hasn't it, Padme? That we've spoken with each other like this?" He asked, still keeping his eyes glued onto hers.

Padme nodded. "Yes. I can't even remember the last time we've spoken out of the office. How long as it been? Years? A decade? I used to remember back when I was the young queen. There would be times when you would visit me on Theed Palace, and we would talk and talk and talk all day long about what was going on in Coruscant and the political state of Naboo and the Galactic Republic. And you know what?"

He grinned. "What's that?"

"I've never really told you this before, but, I really --- really liked those talks. I greatly enjoyed them. Whenever I spoke with you back on those days, I felt so comfortable, so open, as if I weren't speaking with a political advisor or a Senator. With you, I felt as if I was speaking to an old friend, a confidante…Someone I could trust."

/ "Trust." / His stomach knotted at the thought of it. She had trusted him all these years, trusted him with her life and her people. And how was he going to repay her trust? By killing her? By making her fall? By taking away everything she loved?

By making her suffer?

Was such the way of the Sith?

Did she even deserve such a fate?

He immediately pushed those thoughts away. Because tonight, she was alive, and she was in his arms and they were laughing together and looking into each others' eyes. Once again, the night was theirs. And this time, he was himself and she liked him for who he was. He would not let anything ruin it.

"Well it was always a pleasure talking to you, Padme. It always was and always will be. I may have grown dull and weary with time, but you have not, and you never will."

"You have not grown dull at all, Palpatine." She said comfortingly. "If it were up to me, I would love to speak with you again as we did back in Theed. But times have changed. We have changed. And what we are now is different from what we used to be. We cannot turn back time and try to be what we were."

"But who we are inside is still the same. I'm still me and you're still you. Times may change, but not us. You know how we are, Padme. You and I, we're like the rocks that are left on the riverbank will the river keeps on flowing."

Padme just smiled.

"You smile because you know it to be true." He said, noticing her gesture.

Her eyes bore deep into his. "I smile because you seem to know me inside out."

"Perhaps, I do." He replied. Then he gave her a friendly smile.

"Padme, we've been working together for more than a decade now. I was there when you were appointed queen and I am still here. We've been through good times and hard times. We have stood by each other's side through the toughest political predicaments. We've seen each other at our best and at our worst. We've had or lives at stake and the galaxy at risk and yet we've managed to survive it all by working together, thinking together. We practically know each others' strengths and weaknesses."

/ "You embody my weakness…" /

He paused, and moved an inch closer to her, as if he was about to say something that was meant for her ears alone. "To say that I know you inside out is an understatement. But to say that I know how your mind thinks and how your heart beats, now that --- that is how I know you, Padme Amidala Naberrie of Naboo."

Padme's eyes widened as she looked at him, and her chest and bare shoulders rose and fell as she took a deep breath. Her spine tingled at Palpatine's words…But not because she feared them, but because she knew them to be true. Everything he said was true.

And he made her realize --- that out of all the people who had been with her through the years, who had worked with her and accompanied her through her life and career, he was the one who knew her the most. He was the one who knew her in the way she wanted to be known. Palpatine found the soul behind the beautiful face, the humanity behind her title. He found the fire that burned within her and he kept it aflame when others would extinguish it or hold it back. He knew her in a way no one's ever had…

Then a thought struck her...

/ "Has Anakin ever truly known me?" / She suddenly asked herself, and the question made her shiver inside. How could she even think that?

Anakin was her husband. He loved her and she loved him. She loved him to the point that she would die for him. She shouldn't be comparing her relationship with Anakin to her relationship with the Chancellor. One could not be better than the other for those relationships were different. Her relationship with Anakin belonged to her heart --- but her relationship with the Chancellor belonged to her world, her entirety…

/ "One's heart can belong to one's self…But one's self is too vast and far too infinite to belong to one's heart…" / Was she implying that her relationship with Palpatine was deeper and more profound than her relationship with Anakin?

She immediately shoved the thought away deep into the recesses of her mind. She shouldn't be thinking about such things right now.

Palpatine noticed the overwhelmed look on her face and knew that he had struck a chord. He felt proud that he was able to do such without even having to read her mind. No wonder Plagueis told him he had the gift of a silver tongue.

He arched a brow and smirked. "After everything I've said, are you not going to refute me? Or at least say anything to contest my words?"

The only expression she could muster was a smile. "How could I refute something when I know it to be true? If I do so, I would just be refuting myself." Then she slightly tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes as if she were studying his face.

She laughed. "You really do know me, do you?" She asked.

Palpatine flashed her a haughty grin. "Just as much as you know me, Padme." He replied. "Just as much as you know me…"

Padme couldn't help but smile at his remark. And the way that he was looking at her right now, with that sincere smile and those kind endearing cerulean eyes, made her feel so welcome, so free, so appreciated. She couldn't even remember the last she had spoken like this with anyone…Not even with her closest friends, and her parents…

/ "Not even with Anakin?" /

She pushed the thought away again. How many times did she have to tell herself that her relationship with Anakin was special and different? That it should never be compared with the mutual connection that she had with the Chancellor?

But then, wasn't the love that she felt for Anakin the same love that she once felt for Palo? Didn't she and Palo once shared vows of everlasting devotion and whispered sweet nothings into each others' ears until their separate paths had torn them apart? But then if that were the case, was her relationship with Anakin still special?

Palpatine noticed the confusion behind her smile. "Is --- something bothering you?" He asked. Oh how he would love to read her mind right now. But he had made a vow to keep his Sith abilities at rest.

"Have I been talking too much?" He added, trying to sound a little humorous.

Padme laughed. "Oh, oh, not at all." Her hand slid from his shoulder down to his chest. "Please don't stop..."

"Talking?" He asked rather teasingly.

"Yes." Her eyes widened and so did her smile.

"Like what you've said earlier, it really has been a while since we've spoken like this. And I'm really enjoying it. I'm enjoying what we have right now. I'm enjoying everything…all of it." She looked around her, then back at him.

And she exhaled and smiled softly. "I really miss talking to you, Palpatine."

"And I miss talking to you too, Padme. Trust me, you make a better conversationalist than Sly and Mas combined. They may be the best political aide I can find, but they bore me to death." He rolled his eyes. "They are way too predictable and know nothing about the world outside politics. Whenever I spend time with them, I feel as if I'm trapped inside the Senate Hall! And let me tell you, it does get sickening after a while. You can just imagine what it's like for me being cooped up in the office all day with those two. That's probably the reason why I'm stingy most of the time."

Padme couldn't help but giggle. She had forgotten just how humorous and informal Palpatine could be at times. "Oh, I can just imagine." She said, nodding her head. Then her face perked up. "Well, you could try doing some leisurely activities with them…Something that does not have anything to do with politics in any way."

Palpatine smirked. "I did take them with me to watch Deimitri's Malachi last year." He continued.

Padme's eyes lit up like a newborn star. "Deimitri's Malachi! I know of it!" She exclaimed. "That's the play based on the true story of a writer who traveled across planets, spreading his literary works of art, and by doing so, was able to unite an entire solar system and earn the love of his muse! It's well-known a masterpiece! I bet they loved it! They would have been crazy not to."

"Then I have crazy aides," He chuckled. "because unlike you and me, they did not care for it a bit. I even doubt that they understood what it was all about." The Chancellor quickly looked around to see if either one of his aides was close enough to hear what he was about to say next. "In fact, I think Mas fell asleep halfway through. I could hear him snoring. Sly, on the other hand, kept on commenting on so many unnecessary details. Watching it with them was a disaster!"

Padme laughed and gently rested her cheek against his chest. Then she looked up at him with a huge smile across her face. "You could have asked me to accompany you, you know. You know I like watching plays like that. We used to talk about the theater a lot back then." Padme pressed her lips in a tight line and looked distraught about something. "I only saw it once and would have loved to see it again."

"Padme, it's been years since we've talked like this out of the office. How was I supposed to know that you were still interested in such little things?"

Padme exhaled and arched a brow. "Because I've never changed. Because deep inside, I'm still little teenage queen who wasted much of Senator Palpatine's time talking about life, the universe, and everything under the sun."

Palpatine narrowed his eyes and looked at her curiously. "But I thought everything's changed. You said so yourself. You said that you've changed and I've changed and…"

"Well some things stay the same." She immediately interrupted. It seems that Palpatine has maneuvered her into a tight spot…The cunning old fool.

"Like us." He said, smiling as he looked deep into her eyes.

She smiled and bit her lower lip as she returned his stare. She knew he was right. He had been right all night long. "Yes. Like us." She said, nodding. "After everything that's happened, our old shoes still fit. And now look at us. We're talking as if no time has passed between then and now, as if the years haven't rolled by."

"Good to know you're finally agreeing with me." He said devilishly.

"Don't rub it in." She said and gently punched him on the chest.

Her eyes suddenly widened when she realized what she had just done to the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. How unethical and improper of her to do such a thing. No one just punches the Supreme Chancellor on the chest like that, not even in the name of humor. She felt childish and immature for what she just did.

/ "Grow up, Padme. You're not a little girl anymore, and you're neither that young Senator who rolled on the grass and laughed with Anakin on Naboo. You're a fully grown woman now, a respectable and highly regarded Senator of Naboo. Get your act straight and do what you were supposed to do." /

She had almost forgotten about her real mission for tonight. She was supposed to trick the Chancellor into giving up his emergency powers in the name of their old friendship. But now, she wasn't sure if the plan was working on him, or on her.


	17. A dance of lies and love

Chapter 17 is here :D! To those who are still around, thank you so much for sticking to this story :D! And thank you for all your reviews :D! To Crazy Young Fool, OMG, this story has "warped" the way I look at Padme and Palpatine too! It's like whenever they're in one room, I almost always expect them to exchange glances (or something). LOL! Ah, enough about my rambling…on to the story…

Chapter 17: A dance of lies and love

Her eyes were drawn to his face and she noticed him staring at something in the distance. A soft smile was on his lips as he watched the band play.

Padme smiled to herself. Until now, she still couldn't believe how easy it was for her to get him into such a friendly, sociable mood. She didn't even have to try, and neither did she have to deal with the "cold and scheming" side of Palpatine. Right from the moment their eyes met across the dance floor, everything just fell into place. She had found her old friend again, and apparently, he had found his too. And now, there they were, dancing in each other's arms as if they've done it everyday for the past few years. Simply put, the prelude to her plan was going well…Far too well.

She was also quite surprised with how much she had been enjoying his company. Oh how truly wonderful it was to speak with him like this again. She couldn't even remember the last time she had such a fulfilling conversation with someone.

Then she thought of her husband. Of course she enjoyed being with Anakin too. If she could pick one person to spend the rest of her life with, that person would be Anakin. And that was why she chose to marry him.

But…BUT…whenever she was with Palpatine, it was different. She felt more like herself with Palpatine…She always had. She felt like she didn't have to be anyone else but herself. No pretending. No holding back. No trying to be the perfect wife or the perfect Senator or the perfect daughter all the time. With him, she just had to be Padme and that was good enough. After all, Palpatine had known her longer than Anakin did.

/ "What in the world are you thinking, Padme!" / She suddenly asked herself. / "Are you saying that he understands you more than Anakin does? That all this time, he was the one, the only person who truly knows who you are? That out of all the people you know --- your friends, your family, your husband, your comrades, it is Palpatine and only Palpatine who understands the soul that thrives behind your name?" /

"So…who did you see the play with? The Malachi, I mean." Palpatine asked, interrupting Padme's trail of thought.

Padme's eyelids fluttered when his voice pulled her out of her inner daze. And thank God he did, for she didn't know how to answer the question she had just asked herself. Nonetheless, she looked as if she had just woken up from a daydream.

"Padme?" He asked, looking rather concerned.

Padme smiled. She found his concern for her rather endearing. "I'm all right. Something just crossed my mind…That's all."

He laughed softly. "Yeah, I could see that. So, who did you see it with? After all, you can't just watch a masterpiece like The Malachi and not have anyone to share it with. Plays like that need to be enjoyed with friends and fellow enthusiasts."

Padme sighed. "Well, believe it or not, I saw it alone and enjoyed it alone. But no need to feel sorry for me, Palpatine." She said, smiling. "At least I got to see it and that's what really matters." She gave his shoulder a firm squeeze.

Palpatine looked shocked, appalled by what he had just heard. "I can't believe no one accompanied you. How about Mothma? She is a good friend of yours. Or young Skywalker…" He wanted to see how she would react to Anakin, considering that she had kept their marriage a secret for a few years now.

"You two are very, very close…" He continued. He emphasized the word 'very', and let the v's slither between his upper teeth and lower lip. "Like the best of friends, in fact. And personally, I'm glad that you two are. Nothing's better than having a Jedi as a friend. You always have someone to protect you."

Her chest tightened, and she swallowed. She almost felt her heart skip a beat at the mention of her 'relationship' with Anakin. She didn't know that her closeness with Anakin was that noticeable. Either it was, or Palpatine was just a good observer.

And at that moment, a thought struck her…How much did he know about her connection with Anakin? Did he know of their marriage? Three years have already passed since she and Anakin married in Naboo. If the Chancellor knew of it, then he would have already spoken to her about it. But he hadn't…Not even a hint that he knew. If that was the case, did that mean that she had nothing to worry about? That Palpatine knew absolutely nothing of her love for Anakin and of Anakin's love for her?

Unfortunately, so was not the case, because Palpatine knew everything. Everything. And for him, seeing her suddenly distraught at the mention of Anakin's name somewhat made him smile inside. He wanted to challenge her.

/ "Let's see how honest you are, Padme. Or maybe, you're just as much as a liar as I am. You lie about your marriage…and I lie about my allegiance with the Sith." /

Padme quickly covered her confusion with a wide smile. "Oh, Mothma was busy at the time, and Anakin, he --- he had other things to attend to --- like the Separatist War and his loyalty to the Jedi Order and all the responsibilities that come with being a Jedi Knight." She knew she was rambling about Anakin and hoped he wouldn't notice.

Deep inside, Palpatine chuckled. He found it amusing, to see someone as noble and as truthful as Padme lie about her deepest, darkest secret.

/ "And so we truly are the same, Padme. We lie about the most important things." / Then he paused, and held on to that thought. / "I wish my love for you were a lie. I wish it were, but I'm afraid it is not so, for it is not something I can deprive myself of. And because of that, it pains me. The truth of my love for you pains me, Padme." /

Palpatine narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips into a taught line, making him appear as if he was deep in thought. Then his face perked up and he looked at her inquisitively. "Well, how about your suitor then? You do have a suitor, don't you? A lady as beautiful and as fiery as you are must have someone who fancies her…someone who pines for her undying love." He said with a hint of exaggeration.

Padme looked dumbfounded. "A suitor? You mean…a boyfriend?" Was he asking her if she had a boyfriend? Now that was definitely a surprise, coming from him.

"Yes…If you prefer to call it that." He tried to look as innocent and as clueless as he could. He could not let her know that he was mentally fishing her. "Don't tell me you don't have someone who desires you."

She bit her lower lip and raised her brows. Padme didn't know what to say. Was she going to lie to her friend? Or tell him the truth about the love that she and Anakin shared? Uncertain of herself, she breathed in, and looked at him with a hint of hesitance.

"Well, there is this young man…"

Palpatine's eyes widened. Once again, he tried to look surprised as if he knew nothing about her marriage with Anakin. "Oh, really now?" He asked, smiling devilishly. "Then I see my lady has finally found her prince."

Padme grinned from ear to ear and swore she felt herself blushing. Palpatine was right. She had found her prince in Anakin. He was her knight in shining armor, her hero, her husband, her beloved. He was everything she had ever wanted in a man…

"You smile. So it is true then. Like Violette, you have found your true love."

"But unlike Violette, I shall never lose mine." She said proudly.

The irony of Padme's words stung his heart…for he had already foreseen the darkness that awaited her in the hands of her 'prince'. Anakin Skywalker, the man that she loved more than life itself, was going to betray her in the name of power. And yet here she was, speaking about Anakin as if she and Anakin would share a love that would last a lifetime --- a love that would neither be broken by darkness, or by pain, or by chaos. If only he could tell her of the grim fate that awaited her.

"Then I am happy for you." Palpatine courtly bowed his head and forced a gentle smile upon his lips. He wanted to look happy for her. "If it's all right for you then, may I know of the lucky man who had won your heart? Have I met him before?"

Padme felt trapped in a corner. She couldn't tell him the truth. "No. I --- I don't think you two have met before." Her voice quivered.

"Hmm…Is that so?" He asked. "Then perhaps you could introduce me to him someday. I would love to meet him personally. He sounds like a very good and noble man."

"Oh, he is." She said graciously. "I have never met a man as noble and as kind as he. He has a good heart and a good soul. He's honest and he's brave and he loves me. He loves me, Palpatine." Her voice was filled with overwhelming emotion. "I don't think anyone has ever loved me as much. And for that, I thank the stars for giving him to me."

Palpatine's smile lingered. But deep inside, he screamed in agony. / "Open your eyes, Padme! Can't you see? It is I who love you, I, who've always loved you! It is my cold and non-existent heart that dared to seek out the light to feel for you. Do you know what it's like, my love, to be a creature of darkness and ignite a glimmer of light? It burns, Padme. It burns and it blinds. It engulfs me from the inside. My love for you destroys me, scorches me. And yet I can't stop myself from loving you…Because I've loved you far too long and far too much to stop myself from doing so." /

He wished he could tell her how he truly felt. But that was not an option. His love for her was never meant to be. And so he would continue to lie to her as she was lying to him. In the end, both of them were just liars hiding behind their own beautifully decorated masks, pretending to live lives that weren't meant for them to live.

As the music rose to a riveting crescendo, he suddenly pressed his hand against the small of her back and pulled her firmly against him. Then he twirled around with her in his arms and suavely leaned her backwards into a low dip. And as his face hovered closely above hers, he arched a brow and spoke.

"He should be the one thanking the stars for giving him to you. He is blessed to have you as his own. You are perfect, Padme…Perfect in every way. And for that, you deserve no one less. I just hope that he is worthy of your love."

Padme parted her lips and was about to say something in return, when Palpatine swiftly pulled her back up with him. The sudden motion caused her hand to move behind his neck and hang on to him, and the tips of their noses almost brushed as they stood upright.

And in that moment, she once against found herself staring into his clear blue eyes…those clear blue eyes that made her stomach tingle and her insides quiver with an inexplicable feeling of excitement. She could still feel his hand on the curve of her back, holding her close to him…While hers kept its place at the back of his neck.

A shy smile could be seen on their faces as they continued to slow dance to the ongoing song. Then Padme's smile widened and she laughed lightly. She briefly glanced downwards like a shy little girl as she moved her hand back down to his shoulder.

She found their current situation rather amusing. She never thought she'd be in such a scenario, slowly dancing in the arms of a man in a grand ball with a beautiful song playing in the background, and she wearing the most beautiful dress she'd ever seen. It almost seemed like a fairy tale come true. She just didn't expect that 'man' to be Palpatine…Palpatine, of all people. If only he were Anakin…

Padme looked back at him and she spoke his name softly. "Palpatine, Palpatine…My old and dear friend...You fear that he is not worthy my love. You fear that I have found someone less. But love does not know what is more or what is less. The heart knows no numbers or quantities. It knows not the concept of equations. It does not use graphs or statistics to determine how it feels or how it beats. Unlike politics, one cannot vote and debate on the outcome of one's feelings, or weigh its pros and cons. Love does not work that way. It never has and it never will."

Palpatine looked at her doubtfully. "Are you saying then --- that love is void of logic? That when one loves, one must discard all reason and defy all facts?"

Padme smiled slyly…She could feel another debate coming. That was what she loved about talking with Palpatine. He always spoke his mind and shared his thoughts. And when he spoke, he never held anything back. That was why their times together were never boring. There was always something to talk about, something to argue about…and it was in their arguments when the friction between them sparked.

"I am not saying that love stops a person from thinking rationally." She replied. "I am just saying --- that when someone falls in love, that someone will be swayed to think with her heart rather than her mind."

Palpatine furrowed his brows. "But Padme, to think with one's heart is not thinking. It is feeling. One cannot think with one's heart. That's impossible. The heart feels. It emotes. It does not think. If what you are saying is true, then love blinds. Love strips away reality and deceives the senses. It tricks one's mind into thinking that what it feels is what is right. And what we feel is not always right, Padme. Sometimes we feel things that we must not feel. And that is why we should put our minds above her hearts…"

The smile on Padme's lips softened and she looked at him lovingly. "Palpatine, sometimes the heart says things that the mind cannot comprehend. And if we were to put our minds above all, then how would we understand what our hearts are trying to say?"

His lips parted, but he did not speak. He felt cornered by her words. He felt overwhelmed by them, and for once, he couldn't think of the right words to say. He just continued to look at her face, silently trying to comprehend what she had just said.

"You speak as if you know everything there is to know about love." He finally spoke. "You speak as if you've experienced it in its entirety."

She looked at him keenly. "And you speak as if you don't believe in it."

"I'm just looking out for you, Padme." He said firmly. "I just don't want you to get hurt. Because if he hurts you, if he betrays you, then I --- I ---"

As his voice quivered, a vision of the future suddenly flashed in his mind…It was the vision of Anakin --- choking Padme in the fiery planet Mustafar…

x x x x x x


	18. Fireworks

Agny, DarthVengeance, CanaceErinn, anymous, LL, SelinaEnriquez :D, Julie Horwitz, Aryll, Abigail33, Crazy Young Fool, THANK YOU FOR ALL the REVIEWS :D! Once again, my apologies if this Chapter took too long x.x! Work, as usual, has been hectic x.x! Good thing I can write during lunch breaks in the office ;)! Take care, everyone!

Chapter 18: Fireworks

In that split-second, Palpatine saw it all…It was like lightning flashing before his eyes. There was Darth Vader, standing tall and all-mighty with his arm outstretched and his fingers clenched in an evil claw as he squeezed the air out of her throat. He was killing Padme, hurting her. And as Anakin's eyes burned with hatred and loathing, Padme begged. She begged for her life, begged for him to free her, to let her live. But Anakin ignored her cries of mercy. He was killing the life he was supposed to save.

Palpatine flinched and snapped out of his vision. And Padme was quick to notice.

"Palpatine, if you worry about the man I have chosen, then you need not be. For he is everything that I've told you he is. He loves me. He will never hurt me."

/ "Padme…" / He yearned to tell her the truth. But how would he tell her that the man she loved more than life itself was going to kill her?

"I trust him with my life." She continued. "And I love him. I don't know how you could doubt that. I thought you were happy for me."

Palpatine looked into her eyes, those eyes that were filled with love so much love for Anakin. And then it hit him: Nothing in this world would ever stop her from loving young Skywalker. She would love Anakin for as long as she lived, and long beyond that.

He smiled. "I am. Please don't get me wrong. I am happy for you, Padme. I - I'm just worried that you've chosen too hastily. You're still a young woman. You will meet more men along the way. What if he's not the one for you? What if you find someone else who will love you more?"

Padme's eyes lit up. "No one will love me more than he does. No one will love me as much as he does. And even if a man comes along and proclaims undying love for me, then I will tell him that I cannot love him back, for my heart already belongs to someone else."

"Are you implying that the heart can only hold one name?"

"Oh the heart can hold a million names and love a million people, but there's always that special place in it," She slowly pulled away from him and pressed the tip of her index finger over his chest where his heart was. "--- that is only meant for one person and one person alone." She drew an invisible circle over it as she spoke, and then she looked up at him and smiled.

Palpatine smiled back, and he took her hand and brought it up to his lips and gently kissed it. "You, my lady, are proof that love can make one crazy." He said playfully. "Look at you, speaking about love in a way that star-crossed poets do. Kind of makes me miss the young queen who rarely spoke of it."

She held his hand and took one step back. Then she smiled at him and rolled back into his arms and found herself face to face with him again.

"I was young. And I was a queen. My love was solely directed to Naboo and its people. I had no time for the love of a man. Back then I felt no need for it."

Then she smirked and looked at him curiously. "What is it with you, Palpatine? You talk like you detest love, like you don't believe in the very notion of it."

Palpatine sighed. "It's not that I don't believe in it, Padme. It's just that I - I don't trust myself with it. Love is far too impulsive and far too irrational for my tastes."

/ "Just look at what my love for you has done to me. Before I fell in love with you, I had everything planned. I had everything calculated right down to the last action. But then I fell for you. And when that happened, everything I believed in and everything I worked so hard for didn't add up anymore. Suddenly, the only thing that mattered to me was you. You made me doubt myself. You made me doubt my life. And now I don't know where I stand. I don't know what to do." /

"But that is what love is all about, Palpatine! Impulsiveness! When you love someone, you take the plunge! You risk it all! You throw everything away to hold on to it!"

"And yet that is also the reason why so many have had their hearts broken. They give their souls, their very beings, to the promise of love. But when that love fades away, when it betrays them, they die inside. Then they whither away like lifeless shells because the pain is too much to bear. You're right, Padme…Love is all powerful. But when one makes the wrong choices, it can be destructive and merciless."

"Is that how you look at love? You think of it as nothing but a deceitful and destructive force?" She looked at him, curiously awaiting his answer.

"I just think 'love' is way too overrated. The only time love is perfect is when it's told in bedtime stories and childhood fairytales where the princess always falls in love with the prince, and in the end, they all live happily ever after. I --- I don't think love is like that in real life. In real life, the princess always doesn't fall in love with the right prince…and even if she does, the ever after isn't always happy."

"Well that is a shallow thing to say." She said, smirking at him. "Love doesn't always have to be perfect, you know. That's what makes love 'love'…Because when you fall in love with someone, you love him so much, you love him enough, to stick with him even through the toughest times. So I say you're a little one-sided."

"I'm just speaking my mind." He answered back.

"Like you always do." She replied.

"You like it when I do." He said matter-of-factly.

She shrugged. "True. But this time you're starting to get on my nerves, you stubborn old fool." She laughed. "Why can't you just admit that true love exists? That out there, somewhere, there's always that someone who's meant for each one of us?"

Palpatine had an answer to her question, but he dared not say it to her.

/ "Because if I accept the fact that true love exists, then I accept the fact that I've found it in you. And if I accept the fact that I've found it in you, then that would be the end of me. My entire life will crumble at my feet. And I will spend the rest of my meaningless life yearning for something I can never have…You. And that is why I will never accept it. That's why I will never admit to myself --- that you're that 'someone' for me." /

A sweet smile slowly crept up the corners of Padme's lips. Then she narrowed her eyes and looked at him inquisitively. "Have you never fallen in love, Palpatine? Don't you know what it's like? To love someone so much that it hurts?"

She had never asked him such a personal question before, and asking him now intrigued her. And what made it more exciting was the fact that Palpatine was not one would call a romantic. According to his records, he never married. And never in his political life had he been romantically linked with any woman.

Palpatine laughed and shyly looked away from her. Out of all the questions she could ask, why that? Why ask him if he'd ever fallen in love? Why ask him if he'd ever felt what love was like? When right in front of him was the answer she was looking for?

"Please don't ask me that." He pleaded.

She delicately placed a hand on his cheek and turned his head so that he was facing her. "Why? It is because you have? And you're just hesitant to talk about it?"

He looked at her ridiculously. "Because there's nothing to talk about. Love has never crossed my path, and at my age, I doubt it ever will. And even if it does, I will be far too busy to deal with the complexities that come with it."

Padme couldn't believe what he just said. "So you're telling me - that you've never fallen in love? Ever? Not once in your life?"

"I don't believe so." He replied.

"Well I don't believe it either." She said nosily. "I think you're lying to me."

Palpatine laughed. "Lying to you? Why would I lie about that? That, of all things? Is it really so hard to believe? That I've never fallen in love in my life?"

The smile on Padme's lips faded into a more serious one. "Well 'I' find it hard to believe." She said softly, her voice low and enticing. Then she moved her face closer to his and wrapped her arms around his neck as the music shifted to a soft and soothing piano solo.

"You're a good man, Palpatine. I can't believe that no woman has ever seen that. First of all, unlike most men, you speak your mind and are passionate about the things you care about. You are a wonderful conversationalist and you're never a bore to be with."

"Padme…" He interrupted.

But Padme ignored his interlude. "With you, things are always interesting…There's always something new, something unexpected. And when you talk to people, you talk to them as if you know them inside out. You make them feel acknowledged and appreciated. And you always seem to know the right words to say."

"Padme…" He said again, firmer this time.

"And you're always there. Whenever someone needs you, you're always there --- no matter what. And when you're there, everything always turns out all right. I don't know how or why, but it always does. And that's why you've come this far…Because the people need you. They trust you. They know you would never let them down. They feel safe when you're around. And I," Her voice lowered into a soft yet audible whisper. "I like it when you're around."

As the piano solo heightened to its chorus, they once again found themselves staring into each other's eyes.

"Padme…" He whispered.

"Yes?" She asked softly.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Padme asked, wondering what he was thanking her for.

"For being the only person who's ever looked at me that way." He replied.

He took her left hand from the back of his neck, and placed it over his heart. "And for that, I thank you, Padme, for thinking that I'm worthy of being loved."

/ "…And for reminding me that after everything I've done, I'm still human." /

A wide smile spread across Padme's face. Palpatine seemed so emotionally open at that moment. It was almost like she had pushed a button that caused his barriers to drop. Then it dawned at her that now may be the right time to convince him to let go of his emergency powers. Yes. Now was 'the' time. She could convince him that it was the right thing to do…That it was what for the good of the people of the Republic. She could strike him down now, while she had him where she wanted him.

She parted her lips and was about to 'trick him', when something stopped her. It was the way he was looking at her. His light blue eyes were so pure and childlike. He looked so fragile. He appeared as if she had his heart in her hand, as if she could do whatever she willed with it, as if he trusted her with his very fate.

Padme suddenly didn't know what to do. How could she take advantage of him now that they have rekindled the friendship they once had? Was she going to 'trick him' when he had opened himself up to her? Wouldn't that make her into a lesser being? But then, wasn't that what she was supposed to do? Wasn't that the reason why she rekindled their bond? So that she could use it to her advantage?

/ "I'm so sorry, Palpatine…So sorry that I cannot be the true friend that you claim me to be." / She had no choice. She had to do it for the future of the republic.

"Palpatine, I know this may not be the right time to ask this from you, but as a dear friend…as someone who believes in your capabilities and your good intentions, I would like to ---"

But before she could say another word, he gently placed a finger over her cherry lips, hushing her. Then he ran his finger down to her chin, and tilted her face up so that she was looking directly into his eyes. And he slowly leaned forward to ---

Suddenly, the sound of fireworks filled the air. Palpatine immediately jerked away from her when he realized the reality of what he had almost done. He almost kissed her. It was definitely a good thing that the fireworks were ignited before he did, because kissing her as Palpatine was not an option. It would complicate things greatly.

/ "What were you thinking!" / He yelled to himself. He wanted to smack himself for not controlling his feelings. / "You're not Anakin anymore! That masquerade is over! You cannot just kiss her like you did two nights ago! She's not yours anymore, Palpatine." /

"Fireworks!" Padme exclaimed with delight. Her eyes lit up like the brightest stars and she smiled like a child who had just seen a big surprise.

Palpatine felt relieved. It seemed that Padme didn't notice what he had almost done.

The people in the grand hall all clapped and cheered when the sound of more fireworks reached the hall. The white heavy curtains that hung over the windows opaquely reflected a myriad of different colors as the night sky erupted with spectacles of light.

Padme stepped up to Palpatine and looked at him enthusiastically. "I want to see it! You can't see it from here with all the curtains covering the view! And I want you to accompany me." She suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled her after him. She quickly marched off the dance floor and dragged the bewildered Chancellor behind her.

"Where are we going?" He asked as they swiftly walked through the crowd.

"Behind one of those curtains! So that we could gain access to the windows and see the fireworks from there!" She said excitedly. She never allowed herself or Palpatine the chance to slow down. She walked briskly in fear that she might not see it in time.

When they reached the east wall of the hall, Padme eagerly pushed the curtain aside and pulled Palpatine with her behind it. Her eyes were filled with excitement and mischief as she did. Then the heavy curtain fell back in place and hid them from everyone's view.

Padme and Palpatine were now secluded from the crowd and standing before the tall transparent glass window behind the curtain. And Padme wasted no time. She let go of Palpatine's hand and stood closer to the window. She placed her palms flat against it and gazed up at the sky that lay far and beyond the still glass.

Her eyes widened with awe as she watched the atmosphere erupt in a show of bright lights and glittering colors. And on her face was an open smile of amazement. It had to be one of the most spectacular fireworks shows she had ever seen.

The sky was filled with colors of different shades and hues, all of them bright and hypnotizing. They were like fountains in the air, like shooting stars and exploding paintings. Some of the fireworks looked like flying dragons. Others looked like blooming flowers. And there were those that zoomed up the sky like rockets and exploded as if it had collided with the sun.

"Aren't they beautiful, Palpatine? The fireworks…" She said. Her eyes remained glued to the glittering sky as if the world around her didn't exist. "They're like dreams coming true right before your very eyes. They're almost too good to be real."

Palpatine smiled. And while Padme watched the fireworks, his light blue eyes watched her. "Oh yes. They're --- far too beautiful to be true." He said softly.

The lights that shone through the window reflected upon their faces, but none of the blinding lights distracted him from looking at her. Why watch the beauty of the sky when he had the most beautiful thing he had ever seen standing right next to him?


	19. The perfect way to break a promise

WHOO! Sorry for the incredibly delayed chapter x.x! I've had very little time to continue the story lately (or to read any other fanfics for that matter)! But here it is :D! And it's right about time that it got back to its feet! Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who wrote reviews for the last chapter, and to those special few who emailed me about the story (You know who you are ;) )!

Chapter 19: The perfect way to break a promise

The fireworks were nothing compared to Padme's beauty. She had been beautiful to him since the day he realized he loved her and she was still beautiful to him until now. Time had only added to the beauty of her soul…and he doubted that it would ever fade. He could watch her for the rest of his life and feel as if every minute and every second was still time well spent…Even if that was the only thing he could do --- watch and stare from afar, like he had always done for as long as he could remember.

Padme noticed his eyes on her. She turned her head and looked at him in return. "What are you doing?" She laughed as if she had found something funny. "You're missing the show. Who knows when we'll ever see a spectacle like this again? You have to watch! Please, don't let me distract you."

She suddenly took his hand in hers and pulled him right next to her. Then she looked up at the sky again, her dark brown eyes filled with wonder and awe. "I wish we could have fireworks every night." She said dreamily.

Palpatine, too, looked up to the atmosphere. Padme was right. The sky was like a living dream. It truly had to be one of the most beautiful fireworks display he had ever seen. But then, he had never really paid attention to them, until now.

"But Padme," He said. "If we had fireworks every night, how would we see the stars? Wouldn't the fireworks block them from our sight?"

Padme. bewildered by what he had just said, suddenly looked at him.

Palpatine grinned when he saw her looking at him from the corner of his eye. "Now you're the one who's missing the show, looking at me like that." He said matter-of-factly. "I thought you didn't want to miss a second of it."

Her eyes widened. "Uh, yes…You're right." She immediately gazed up at the fireworks and swore she could feel herself blush in embarrassment. It almost appeared as if Palpatine had caught her gawking at him.

Palpatine chuckled at her reaction. He knew she had caught her off guard.

She deeply breathed in, and thought she would make up for her silliness. "I just didn't think you were much of a star-gazer. After all these years I've known you, you never once mentioned that you liked looking up at the stars."

He shrugged. "Oh…There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Padme."

/ "A LOT of things…Most of them, things you don't ever want to know." /

Padme just smiled. She took it as a fact that you couldn't always know everything there was to know about the people around you, even those who were the dearest and closest to you. Like Anakin, for example…He was her life…He was her everything. And yet there were times wherein she would feel like there was a hidden place in his heart she could never enter --- a part of him she could never see. And whenever she felt that way, she would always ask herself, why? Why can't she know all of him? Was their love not strong enough? Didn't he love her enough to share with her everything he was?

"Palpatine…" She said softly.

"Yes?" He asked. He kept his eyes to the sky and so did she.

"Do you remember – that day – when Naboo celebrated its 3rd year of peace between the humans and the Gungans?"

He smiled. "But yes of course. You were still a queen then."

"Yes. I was sixteen." She informed him.

He nodded his head in agreement. "And it was a wonderful celebration. How could I ever forget? In fact, our fellow Nubians still talk about it up to this very day. They say it is the most spectacular celebration Naboo has ever had."

"It is." She replied.

"Why do you ask if I remember it?" He asked, curious of her intention.

"You came back to Naboo that day, came back after months of being away."

"True. There were many matters that consumed my time in Coruscant…I had to uphold my position as the new Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. And there were so many things to attend to after what happened with the Trade Union. I barely had time for myself even." He chuckled. "I had to prove that I was capable of the position you had given me. I didn't want to let you down, Padme."

"I understand. But when you returned, I met with you in Palace Theed. I knew there was going to be a fireworks display that night and so I asked you if you wanted to see it with me." Padme's voice was suddenly cold and stern.

"And I said yes…In fact, I promised you - that I would meet you that night." For some reason, Palpatine frowned at his own words.

"I know. I asked you to meet me at the highest balcony of Palace Theed where we could watch it as if it were right in front of our eyes. Like we could just reach out and feel them between our fingers. I was so thrilled, Palpatine…To know that I was going to see it with my closest and dearest friend. And so when night came, I rushed to the highest balcony, excited and ecstatic for the night that was awaited…But ---"

Palpatine closed his eyes and hung his head. "But I didn't go." He spoke, soft and low, as if he were ashamed of the sound of his own voice. He closed his hands into fists at the thought of what he had done to her. Then he breathed in, exhaled, and opened his eyes. "You waited for me but I didn't come. I let the queen of Naboo down."

"No. You didn't let the queen of Naboo down." Padme said softly.

"But I let Padme down. And Padme's more important to me than the Queen of Naboo ever was." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, waiting for her reaction. But he heard no reply from her and knew she agreed with him.

After all, he betrayed her. He held her hopes up and dropped them as if it didn't matter. He crushed the heart of a sixteen year-old young lady. And it wasn't only that. What filled his gut with guilt was the fact that he betrayed her twice in that occasion. Not only did he abandon her, but the real reason why he did not meet with her that night was because he had met with his then new apprentice, Count Dooku, instead.

He flew to the Count's esteemed villa in Serenno to introduce the elderly Jedi to the dark side of the force. Palpatine chose that night because he knew that everyone was going to be too busy and preoccupied with the grand celebration to suspect a thing. No one would sense foul play…Not even the second-rate Jedi where were sent to Naboo.

Palpatine remembered the promise he had made Padme, of course. He knew she was up there, in the highest balcony of her palace, watching the sky and waiting for him like a princess in her tower, but he deemed it unimportant at the time. He did not even care about her at all. Back then, Padme was nothing more but a naïve young queen who quenched his thirst for a satisfying conversation. She was nothing but an instrument, a pawn...Someone he 'used' to pass the time and climb up the political ladder. But now, thinking of what he had done made his stomach churn. If only he knew, that years after that, she would become the most important thing in his life.

After a few seconds of silence between them, he finally heard her spoke.

"You didn't keep your promise." She whispered.

Her words made his heart feel like an empty pit.

"I waited the entire night, Palpatine. I waited for you. Even after the fireworks ended, I stood there waiting for you…Because you made a promise to me. You promised me you would be there and I took your word." Her voice was cold and restrained. But despite the tinge of pain she felt at remembering that night, she kept her composure. "Do you know what it's like, to wait for something that would never come?"

She didn't look at his direction, but her voice pierced him well enough.

Palpatine's breath shivered as he listened to her. Her words hit him hard. They stung and burned like poisonous thorns against his skin. It never occurred to him that his simple promise meant so much to her. He never knew that when he broke it, he hurt her…hurt her so much to the point that the pain still echoed after ten long years. It was in that broken promise, that he had caused her pain.

He slowly looked at her direction, and studied her with his light blue eyes. And he realized that at that moment, there was only one thing he could say.

"I'm sorry, Padme." He spoke carefully, apologetically. His words were genuine, truthful. They were untainted by the deceitful Sith that lived within his soul. "Forgive me - for not being there for you that night. Forgive me, my friend, for depriving you of the promise that I should have kept." What more could he say? He could not tell her the real reason why he did not go. "I, I just wish you could have told me sooner, Padme, how you truly felt about that night. If I would have known, then ---"

Then what? He would have given her more false promises? And blind her with a friendship that was based on a lie? But that was then. And things have changed. He didn't want to lie anymore. Not to her…Not to Padme.

She suddenly looked at him and forced a smile upon her lips. But the smile on her face couldn't hide the indifference in her eyes. "It's all right." She said softly.

"No, Padme. It's not all right…"

She widened her smile and shakily placed a hand on his forearm. "Palpatine…" She looked at him pleadingly and gave his arm a comforting squeeze. "It's all right. You don't have to apologize. In fact, I - I should be the one apologizing to you."

Palpatine furrowed his eyebrows. / "For what?" /

She moved her hand away and once again looked up at the fiery sky. She breathed in and sighed. "I shouldn't have even brought it up. I mean, it's been more than a decade since that night, right?" She smiled at him and shrugged. "And you'd think a full-grown woman would know better than to ignite a small flame that happened so many, many years ago. After all, I was but a young woman back then…A teenager in fact. And you know how fragile young ladies' hearts can be."

"Still, I shouldn't have done that to you." He said apologetically. "What I did was unacceptable, impolite, rude, unethical and…"

"--- Very much unlike you." She interrupted. She spoke as if she knew everything there was to know about him.

Palpatine grinned and nodded his head. "Yes. Very much unlike me."

"That's probably why I still can't believe it happened…Because you always kept your word." She said wide eyed. Then she crossed her arms over her chest like a pouting little girl and looked out the window. "I still can't believe it, really!" She exclaimed. "The first real date of my life and I got stood up by a full-grown man who should have known better." She looked at him and arched a brow. She was obviously teasing him.

He couldn't help but laugh. "A date!" He asked.

Padme held her head high and proud. "Yes. A date." She nodded once to prove her point. "Why? Don't you consider it one?"

Palpatine felt as if Padme was trapping him into a corner. As to why she was doing that, he still did not know. But perhaps she wasn't doing such a thing at all. Maybe it was him who was letting himself get trapped in a corner. "Well, it's not that I don't want it to be one, but…I mean, Padme --- a date! Do you know what a date is?"

"A date. An appointment. In the same context, it's also known as an engagement to go out socially with another person." She sounded like she was reading off an invisible dictionary. "Therefore, I consider that night a date. It was an appointment, wasn't it?"

His eyes widened at the realization of what she meant by 'date'. "Oh. You mean that 'date'. Not the other kind of - date."

She looked at him curiously. What did he think she was referring to earlier? Then her eyes also widened when she realized what 'he' meant by 'date'. Oh how truly bipolar their minds were. "Oh! You thought I was referring to –" She laughed.

Palpatine smiled. Though deep inside, he fretted at the sound of her humoring laughter. How could she laugh at the thought of him and her on a 'real date', the kind of 'date' that happens between two people who could possibly be in love? Was the thought of them 'together' too ridiculous to take seriously?

"Well, it's just that…" What was he going to tell her? That he was actually entertaining the thought of him and her on a romantic date?

Her laughter toned down into a wide smile, and she looked at him lovingly. "Oh Palpatine." She said softly. "Palpatine, Palpatine, Palpatine." She reached out and placed her hand on his forearm, and ran her hand down to take his. "You and I, we're above 'dates' of that kind. Our friendship has grown far too deep and far too much to resort to heart-shaped chocolates and Nubian flowers. Leave those dates to younger lovers who are still looking for the passion that naïve love brings."

x x x x x x


	20. Complicated

Man, that sure was a long wait x.x! Once again, my apologies to everyone who waited for the next chapter for as long as they did. Life has been pretty hectic (I, myself, haven't had the time to read the fanfics I love x.x). Anywayz, if you're currently reading this, thank you so much for sticking around D! I LOVE you peoples. Well, on to the show…and sorry if the past few chapters have "talky" chapters. They just love to talktalktalk, don't they? Lol.

Chapter 20: Complicated

A flicker of memory suddenly crossed her mind. It was the memory of her and Anakin in Naboo. There they were, rolling on the grass, laughing at each other, smiling at each other. Everything was so perfect, so happy, so colorful. They were exactly like the naïve young lovers she had just described earlier, drowning in the passion and ardor that young love brought. It had already been three years since that day...And yet Padme felt as if nothing had changed, or rather, evolved between them. They were still like those young naive lovers, 'trapped' in the passion and blindness of blossoming love. She loved him still of course. And he loved her too. But sometimes, she couldn't help but think that there could be something more...something that she needed more than 'undying love'.

Palpatine, who had promised to deprive himself the ability to read Padme's mind, remained oblivious of her thoughts. He smirked at her and arched a brow. "You sound like someone who's been there and done that." He said teasingly.

Then he smiled from ear to ear and delicately kissed her hand. "And don't deny it, for I would frankly find it hard to believe." He smiled. His voice was low and smooth. "You're the kind of person who always seizes the day, Padme. You live life to the fullest - never leaving any stones left unturned. You grasp every opportunity that crosses your path. And I believe you've done the same with the matters of your heart."

Padme smiled and glanced away. She could feel her cheeks flushing red at the memories of her 'dates' with Anakin. She wished she could share them with Palpatine too…Talk about them as if they were talking about politics and all the other numerous things they would often talk about. But alas, she knew the Chancellor would not react well to the knowledge of her being married to a Jedi...She, of all people.

"Well…" She muttered under her breath.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at her inquisitively. "Let me guess. The young man you told me about a while ago…The man who had won your heart by a landslide, he's the first one you've dated. And deep inside, whether you want to admit it or not, you know you can't bear the thought of dating anyone else…Simply because you want no one else." He spoke as if he were stating a fact. "And when I say date, I mean a real date…The kind of date where two people are actually -"

"- in love." She continued. Then she looked at him silently, and she smiled. "You amaze me, Palpatine. For someone who's never been in love, you sure do know how a woman's heart beats. It was almost as if you were reading mine like a book."

Palpatine chuckled. "Oh Padme," He smiled at her and leaned against the window. Then he looked up at the fireworks display and let its distant light reflect upon his clear blue eyes. "You don't have to be in love with someone to know how someone's heart sings. Sometimes, observing them is good enough." He knocked at the glass window once, looked back at her, and stood up straight. And as he stepped closer to her, he spoke. "And in our case, I just think I've been with you for so long and in so many circumstances - that I've actually solved the equation that makes your heart tick."

Padme pursed her lips and looked at him with an intrigued smile. "Are you saying then, that you've memorized me?" She asked curiously. "That you can know what I'm thinking and how I'm feeling just by looking at me?"

His eyes sank deep into hers, as if he was looking at the very core of her soul. "If I said yes, would it scare you?" He whispered.

Padme arched a brow and a sly smile slowly crept across the corners of her lips. She moved her face closer to his, so that their faces were less than a few inches away from each other. "What if I tell you that I've memorized you too, Palpatine? Would that scare you?" She whispered back, her dark brown eyes piercing into his light blue ones.

Palpatine smiled and kept his eyes locked with hers. Their close physical proximity and the subtle tension of the moment sent shivers of excitement up his spine.

"Oh really?" He asked, challenging her. "Do you really think you've memorized me too? Me? Palpatine? The most complicated man in the galaxy?" There was no way he was going to let her get the best of him in his own mind game.

"Well you yourself told me I was complicated. And me being complicated makes it possible for me to understand your own unique complexity. After all, I've known you for as long as you've known me. I am the living half of the reason why you know me as much as you do. Now that - is a fact you cannot disprove." She said all-cheekily.

"Correct. But that, my omniscient friend, still does not prove that you've memorized me as much as you think you do." He replied, tilting a brow.

"Do you still think I'm bluffing?" She asked, challenging him in return.

"Yes." He said firmly.

"Well then, I'll tell you, in your own words – what you're thinking right now – right at this very moment." She said at his face.

Palpatine laughed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Then go. Prove me wrong." He said proudly. "Tell me what you think I'm thinking right now. For all you know I may be thinking about a thousand things all at the same time. I may even be thinking of nothing at all. Who knows, I may even be thinking - of you…" He grinned.

She chuckled. "If there's one thing I do not need from you, Palpatine, it's flattery." She said as she gently poked him on the chest.

"Flattery? Padme, you know I never resort to such a thing when it comes to you. After all, you do not need to be flattered. Flattery is for those who do not deserve the praise. But you do. You always do. But I'm just saying – what if I really am just thinking of you? Can't a friend think of his closest friend?"

"But you are no ordinary friend, Palpatine. You're you. And if you are thinking of me and only me, Then I'd be wondering why you're wasting your precious intellectual mind on doing so," She said, giggling under her breath. "when you should be thinking about more important things like…" She pursed her lips, crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned against the huge glass window behind her. "Like the Separatist War or…"

Palpatine slithered in front of her and placed his hand flat on the smooth surface of the window, right above Padme's left shoulder. The narrow space they had, between the window and the curtain, left him no choice but to move closer to her, almost as if he was trapping her between him and the transparent glass wall.

"We're in a celebration, Padme!" His voice rose and his eyes glowed with excitement. "Why think of work and politics and all the troubles and drollness of the outside world when we know that once the party ends, we'll be back out there, thrown into the eye of the storm to think about them night and day?" Then his voice softened. "I'd rather spend the rest of this night thinking of more important things…Like you. You're important to me, Padme." He said, smiling at her.

"Okay, now you're really flattering me." She glared at him and gently pushed him on the shoulder. "Nothing can be more important to you than your work."

"I can say the same to you." He cocked a brow and smirked.

Padme grunted and rolled her eyes. "I hate it when you do that!"

"When I do what?" He asked, as if he did not know what she was referring to.

"That! When I direct something at you and you turn it around. And – and when you say something about me and it's always right! You always do that!" She said frustratingly. "More than a decade has passed and you've never changed!"

"Well I can't help the way I think! If I stopped thinking like me then I wouldn't be me at all! Then who knows what I might become?" He laughed. "I might even turn into one of those empty-headed fools who bore you to death with talks of how beautiful you look under the moonlight…" He leaned closer to her and talked like an exaggerated suitor. "Or how smooth your skin is or how perfect your face looks when you smile, but I can't tell the difference between a Federal Republic, a Unicameral and a Parliamentary Government." He laughed.

Padme couldn't help but giggle at Palpatine's exaggeration. "My dear friend, the day you turn into that, is the day Shaaks sprout wings and fly over the green fields of Naboo, which I hope would never ever happen."

"Well then let's pray that that day never comes. Not because I'd hate to turn into your so-called typical man, but because I incredibly abhor the thought of an airborne Shaak landing on my shoulder. Those creatures are heavier than they look. And let me tell you, they already look heavy as it is."

Palpatine grinned at her, and they both laughed.

In the midst of her laughter, Padme smiled, closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the glass window behind her. "Oh Palpatine." She sighed as she spoke his name.

Then she opened her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "If what you say is true, if I truly am more important to you than your work, then why didn't you keep your promise that night?" She looked at him suspiciously, as if she knew he was hiding something from her. "Look, I know we've put this issue to rest, and you're probably sick of it after I made such a big deal about it tonight…But I'm just curious as to why you weren't there. We never really talked about it until now."

"It's because we've never really 'talked' for the past decade." He said matter-of-factly.

"Exactly." Replied Padme. "And after more than a decade of wondering what in the world happened that night, I need an answer, Palpatine." She insisted. "You knew I had my communicator with me. You - you could have at least called to inform me that you wouldn't be able to make it. But I heard nothing from you. It was almost like you just - suddenly - disappeared. I didn't even see you in the celebration proper. Were you even at the celebration at all?" She asked, half-laughing, like she herself could not believe the question she had asked him. After all, how could a Nubian patriot, such as Palpatine, not be in one of Naboo's grandest celebrations?

Palpatine raised his brows and swallowed. Padme's sudden curiosity as to his whereabouts that night took him off guard. Why couldn't she just let it all go? It was an unimportant promise that occurred a dozen or so years ago. Was his promise to be with her atop Palace Theed such a big deal, that it could not be put completely to rest? Or was she, for some reason or another, starting to suspect his true identity?

"You're silent." She said. "And when you're silent, that means you don't have the answer. And that doesn't happen very often - because Palpatine always has the answer, no matter what the circumstance. And when Palpatine doesn't have the answer, that means there must be something wrong."

"Or maybe Palpatine just doesn't want to share the answer." He answered back.

"And why is that?" She asked.

"Because maybe, the answer…" He leaned closer to her. "- is none of his lady's business." He said as he smirked at her.

"Well it's my business as much as it is yours." She pouted. "You were the one who left me standing there atop Palace Theed alone and waiting for you! And waiting isn't particularly an enjoyable activity. Therefore, I believe I have the right to know! You owe me one. Don't forget that!"

Palpatine chuckled. "I owe you nothing, my lady." He said rather sarcastically.

"Why can't you just tell me where you were?" She demanded. "Tell me why you couldn't keep your promise and I'll let it all go. I'll – I'll never talk about it again!" She exclaimed, wide eyed and excited.

"Promise?" He asked.

"Promise." She answered. "And unlike you, I plan to keep mine."

Palpatine sighed and rolled his eyes. And as he exhaled, his shoulders drooped down in defeat. "I still can't believe we're talking about something that happened a million years ago." He muttered. Then he looked at her with pleading blue eyes. "Is it really such a big deal to you? Does everything have to have an answer?"

Padme smiled, a sly and curious smile. "You know what, Palpatine?" She giggled. "The more you try to slither yourself out of this, the more curious I get as to why you weren't there. So if I were you, I'd just say it like a man and get on with it."

Palpatine swallowed. "You're really not going to let me off the hook tonight, aren't you?"

She grinned and slowly shook her head from side to side. "No. And don't bother lying to me either. I'd know – in a heartbeat." She said sternly.

The Chancellor cocked a brow. "Really now?"

/"Then how come you've never seen the lie, Padme? For as long as you've known me you never once realized – that the Palpatine you've trusted, the Palpatine you've voted to lead your people, the man you've considered your friend and confidant IS the lie. I'm the lie, Padme. My life is the ultimate lie. The greatest lie the galaxy's ever known is standing right in front of you and you don't even know it. Now how can you tell me that you know me as much as you do when I'm not even who I am?"/

Padme crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him inquisitively. "So, where were you that night, Palpatine?" She asked, half-smiling. Finally, finally, she had him cornered. The little girl finally had the wise old bull by the horns. "Now that I think about it, no one saw you in the celebration at all. You weren't even in the holo-videos and pictures that were taken during the event. So if you weren't there, and you weren't with me…Then…where were you?" She tilted her chin up, looked at him in the eyes, and cocked a brow back at him.

Deep inside, he ached. /"Do you really want to know where I was? Do you really want to know? Does everything have to have an answer for you? What if I tell you the real reason why I wasn't there? What if I tell you that I met with the leader of the Separatists to formally arrange the downfall of your government and your people? That truth will crush you, Padme. It will hurt you, and I don't want that. You don't deserve that."/

But outside, Palpatine looked as if nothing was wrong. The last thing he wanted was for her to suspect anything else, anything more. He smirked and glanced away. "Suddenly I feel as if the entire galaxy's eyes are on me…" Then he looked back at her and grinned wider. "- Interrogating me with its unnerving eyes of judgment."

"Not the entire galaxy's eyes, Palpatine. Just mine." She said softly.


	21. As you turned around to leave

OMG! This chapter's pretty long O.O! So I hope you great readers have enough time to sit and read :D! First and foremost, THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed the last chap :D! And THANKS SO MUCH to those who wrote in words of encouragement :D! Most especially LL and everyone else (you know who you are ;) ). And sorry for the delay. Busy busy busy with so many things lately x.x! Oh…and for those who're looking for Anakin, I bet you'll like the latter part of this chapter ;)!

Chapter 21: As you turned around to leave

"That's actually what scares me. The thought of Padme Amidala's eyes dissecting my brain. Who knows what she'll find in there?" He said, chuckling, while he pointed at his head. He placed his hands inside his coat's pockets and leaned against the glass window. "Seriously, Padme…I still don't understand why you have to know."

She glared at him and poked him on the chest. "I have to know because…Well, there are just some things that one has to know, okay? Also, you stood me up. You did and you know it. You stood me up and I want to know why."

Palpatine rolled his eyes and sighed. "You - are relentless."

Padme smiled sarcastically. "As always." Then she poked him on the chest again, harder this time. "And that's why you have to tell me, because you know I'm never going to stop until I get my answer." She insisted.

He winced, and rubbed the part of his chest she had repeatedly poked. "You know what? That's - starting to hurt." He chuckled.

She took a step closer to him, narrowed her eyes, and smiled at him deviously. "Oh I'm going to do more than that if you don't tell me what I want to know."

Palpatine laughed. "Are you - threatening me?"

She arched a brow. "Maybe."

"So what?" He asked, smiling widely. "What are going to do? Call me in my office everyday just to ask me where I was that night twelve years ago? Send me holodroids every minute of everyday with a recording of you asking me the same question over and over and over again?" He laughed, ridiculing the thought. "I don't know about you, Padme…But if that's what you have in mind, then let me be the one to tell you that it would only be a waste of your time and resour---"

Before Palpatine could finish his sentence, Padme angrily glared at him and raised her voice. "Fine, then! Keep your secrets! Keep it as much of a secret as your first name!" She crossed her arms over her chest and snappily turned around so that her back was facing him. "You tell me I'm important to you. But you can't even disclose such a minor piece of information to me…Information that you owe me."

He softly laughed and placed a hand over her bare shoulder. "Padme…You're acting like a child. Now you're making it seem as if the basis of our friendship's now standing upon a minor piece of detail that has ebbed away with time."

She pursed her lips, thought to herself, and sighed. Palpatine was right. It was very childish of her to have acted that way. She probably seemed like one of those children who would cry and bawl and stomp their feet whenever they were deprived of what they wanted. After all, maybe Palpatine had a good reason why he couldn't tell her where he was. So for tonight, she would accept it as it was.

"Sorry about that..." She turned around and faced him. On her lips was a smile that only an embarrassed person would wear. "I guess now would be the best time to apologize for how I have been acting tonight, huh? You probably feel like you've been talking to some immature teenager. To think that a woman such as I, a woman of my upbringing - would learn how to act more – proper - in the presence of the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic." The smile on her face widened. "If Bail and Motha were here with us right now, they'd probably think I've lost my mind!"

Palpatine's eyes suddenly glimmered with intensity. "Then they don't know who you are." His face softened as he looked into her eyes, deeply, sincerely, and brought his hand up to her face. He softly brushed her cheek with his thumb, and smiled. "I think you're perfect just the way you are - right here, right now - tonight. I would never want to change a fiber of you. For me to do so would be unacceptable."

Padme smiled back, and her brown eyes locked with his blue ones. If there was one thing she could not deny, it was the fact that Palpatine always knew the right words to say – whenever they needed to be said. And at that moment, she definitely couldn't help but smile like a flattered young woman. The man was a genius when it came to words.

"Can I tell you something?" She asked, her voice soft and whispery. "This is going to sound really funny, and I'm not even sure if I should be saying this to you. But - I've never really felt like myself for the past few years – until tonight." She smiled, and paused to collect my thoughts. "It sounds unbelievable, doesn't it? Makes it appear like I've been living behind a mask for as long as I can remember." She exhaled and looked out the window. "Good thing moments like these exist…When I can take off the shackles and just be who I am." She directed her eyes to him again.

Palpatine laughed. "Padme, I don't think it's that unbelievable at all." He said, shaking his head from side to side. "In fact if it's going to make you feel any better, I believe I feel the same way. The only difference between your mask and mine…Is that sometimes, I can't seem to take mine off - no matter how hard I try."

Before Padme could say anything in return, he felt compelled to explain why. "You know my life, Padme. You know our lives. Our lives are chained to the work we were bred to have. And in my case, I've become the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. The Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic! When one is given such a title, one is compelled to one's duties. One is obligated to live the title. And when you have to spend most of your time with people who refer to you more by your title than your name, then you start to lose yourself. You start to lose your identity. The mask starts to wear you."

His voice softened. "You start to forget who you really are…and the next thing you know, you're living your title more than you're living your life. You start to forget what really matters. You start to forget the most basic of things. You can command thousands of armies to obey you. You can control the destinies of cities and planets and create laws and policies that can mold the lives of the millions of people living under your wing. You can do all that, but then…" He paused, and looked at her firmly… "…You start to forget what your favorite color is, or what kind of flower you like the most. Ironic, isn't it?" He silently snickered at the thought. "To tell you the truth, I'm quite surprised I still haven't turned into some soulless droid."

Then as he continued to look at her, he breathed in, exhaled, and smiled softly as he gently ran a finger down her cheek. "But you...You remind me of who I am, Padme. You never failed to do that. Whenever I'm with you, I'm always reminded that behind the mask – still exists a living man."

A deadening silence befell the two of them as she looked at him, silently, deeply, as if she didn't want him to stop speaking. She could still hear his voice echoing in her head like a song she could not forget, and she wasn't sure if she ever will. Palpatine had never been this personally open to her before. He had always been talkative, of course, and was blunt about everything he wanted to talk about. But he had never ever talked about his personal life. Never…Not even with the public or with her. But this time – this time he seemed more personal like he was finally finally trying to tell her something about the great mystery that was his life. If he could only say more, because what he had said only seemed to scratch the surface of something deeper.

The thin air of silence between them finally came to a halt, when a blinding glimmer of yellow light, followed by a distant sound of an explosion, suddenly flashed through the window, causing Palpatine and Padme to suddenly shield their eyes.

Padme laughed while she rubbed her eyes and batted her eyelids. "Okay…Whoever set off that firework directed it way too close to the mansion."

Palpatine, too, rubbed his eyes. Then he quickly shook his head from side to side, batted his lids a number of times and quickly looked around to check his eyesight. "I agree." He concurred. Once he was sure about his eyes, he looked out the window and saw more fireworks exploding in the distance. "I can't even believe they're still using that." He said, chuckling, as he turned his head to look at her. "That was called the 'exploding sun' by the way." He said matter-of-factly.

Padme furrowed her eyebrows. "The exploding sun?"

He nodded his head. "Yes…That firework that went off just a moment ago. That was called the exploding sun." He leaned closer to her, but kept his eyes on the window, watching the other fireworks go off in the distance. "You see, unlike other fireworks, when the exploding sun bursts, it doesn't contain its light in small particles. Instead it scatters the light, formless and unbound, making it seem like one huge exploding orb."

"Hence the name…" She said.

"Exploding sun." He continued.

She smiled, and narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. "Wow. I didn't know you knew so much about fireworks. You – just don't seem like the type."

Palpatine arched a brow and smirked. "What's the type then, hm? Can't a man such as I know about fireworks? Does it mean that since I live a monochrome and unromantic life, I have to stop myself from enjoying such things of - " He paused, and focused his eyes on her. "- wonder and beauty?" He grinned. "I'm disappointed, Padme. It seems as if you have stereotyped me into the typical 'dull and old' politician. You, of all people, should know that there's more to me than meets the eye."

"Palpatine! I didn't mean that!" She said, her eyes widening as she stated her point.

Palpatine pursed his lips, and arched a brow at her. "Or perhaps…You are right. Maybe I'm really not the type." He placed his hands behind his back and once again looked at the fireworks in the sky. "Maybe the only reason why I know so much about them - is that I know Marcus Crowe, the person who exclusively manufactures them for Coruscant." He looked at her and grinned.

Padme raised her brows, sighed, and rolled her eyes. Oh how she hated it whenever he played her with his words. Then she looked out window and gazed up at the sky with him. "Well unlike you, I've always liked fireworks." She said softly. "I may not know them as much as you do, but I like them nonetheless."

"May I ask why?" He inquired, keeping his eyes up at the sky.

Padme stepped closer to the window in front of her, and flattened her hand against its smooth surface. She kept her eyes up at the atmosphere and watched it as it erupted into an endless myriad of colors.

"Because fireworks live such short but radiant lives. Unlike us, they never waste a second of their existence. They know how to make the best of the short time that they are given. And if you look long enough, you'll notice that none of them are ever the same. They're like a fingerprint of their own." She pressed the tip of her index finger against the window, and traced the fireworks in the air. "It's technically impossible for one firework to explode in the same way as its predecessor, and its predecessor's predecessor. That's why when you miss one, you know you'll never ever see one like it again. They live. They die. But when they live, everyone gazes at them with awe. Everyone remembers them for their beauty and perfection. Therefore their deaths are justified."

As Padme spoke, Palpatine looked at her, watched her. "Don't you think it's sad? That they die even before they can bask in their glory? People look up at them in awe, correct. But they die even before they have the chance to look down and see the fruits they have reaped. Therefore, how do they know that in their brief moment of existence, they were able to make people happy, that they have done what they were born to do?"

She looked back at him and smiled. "They don't. They live the moment. They never hold back to see whether it was worth it or not. They just – live and give it all."

Palpatine smiled. "You sound as if you want to live the life of a firework." He replied. "To live every second and every day as if it were your last. A life where there's no sadness or pain…Only happiness and beauty and truth and love. You want to live a life where in the end, you can close your eyes and die knowing that deep inside, your life was well-lived and that you had no regrets…That everything you did was worth it all and every moment was time well-spent."

Padme nodded in agreement. "That is the life I want to live. But don't we all? How about you, Palpatine? Don't you wish to live such a life?"

Palpatine said nothing. He just stared at her silently, studying her question. He never answered her, but his mind cried a thought that spoke louder than any voice.

/ "I just want to be forgotten. Never to be remembered for the life that was never mine." /

The words echoed in his brain, as if his head was a hollow pit filled with nothing but thin air. His eyes were like that of an empty void as he looked at her…And when no clear answer came, he breathed in, placed his hands behind his back and looked out the window. The only sound that came from him - was the sound of him exhaling softly.

Padme looked at him, confused and wondering why he did not answer her back. He did not even mutter a word. Was it because of the question she had asked him? Or something she had said earlier? Had she offended or disheartened him in any way?

The next minute was filled with silence as Palpatine watched the sky and she watched him. He did not say a word or look at her direction. He did not even move a muscle. It was almost as if he was trapped in his own head, thinking about things he would dare not share with anyone else, not even with her. When Padme heard nothing from him, she realized it was a sign that their evening together has come to an end.

She glanced out the window and sighed, her fingers rubbing against her palms nervously. "I'll be going." She said abruptly. "Thank you, Chancellor, for your time." She looked at him from the corner of her eye. He still had not moved an inch. "It was a pleasure -speaking with you again, like in old times."

She wanted to reach out to him, place a comforting hand on his shoulder and try to draw him out of his deep thought. But she could not. For she knew that Palpatine was once again trapped within the walls of himself. Whatever she had just said to him had caused him to do so. And as to why, she knew she would never know. He was once again in a world of his own, where his secrets were his own, and where his personal life was no one else's business but his. It was moments like these that made Padme realize how much of Palpatine she still did not know about, despite telling herself otherwise.

Palpatine, still, did not reply. He was as silent and as motionless as a rock while he watched the fireworks erupt in the darkened atmosphere.

Padme forced a smile upon her lips as a final gesture to him. Still, no reply. And so she turned around and was about to walk away, when he finally spoke.

"Padme." He suddenly said, turning towards her.

She immediately turned around at the sound of his voice. "Yes?" She asked. She felt as if the word had jumped out of her lung and got stuck in her throat.

The supreme chancellor's face was blank as he looked at her. His lips neither wore a hint of a smile or a frown. "I was in Serenno – meeting a business partner." He spoke as if he were stating a fact that he read in a book.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "What?" She asked. What was he talking about?

"That night…Twelve years ago. I flew to Serenno to meet a business partner. That was where I was that night. That was why I couldn't be with you. It was important. I – I couldn't get out of it. I had to be there or…or…" He paused to collect his thoughts, but found no way to explain it. "I just had no choice, Padme." He replied. That was the only way he could sum it up. If she only knew how true his words were. If he could only tell her everything. But alas, that was not an option. It never was.

Palpatine looked at her, waiting to see how she would react now that she knew what happened. Would she thank him and jump for joy for finally telling her? Or would she be angry at him for breaking his promise to her over some lousy business meeting?

But Padme, she did none of those things. For the next thirty seconds or so, she just stood there, looking like a blank piece of paper as she stared at the man who had just spoken. She stared at him and looked at him like she was studying him with her eyes.

And suddenly, as if she had finally come into a conclusion, she forced a subtle smile upon her face and said - "Thank you."

Much to Palpatine's surprise, Padme's voice had turned cold and emotionless. "Now if you'll excuse me, Chancellor," She continued. "I have to attend to Bail and Mothma now. They may already be looking for me." Even her face denied to express any kind of emotion. Though there was no anger in her eyes, there was also no joy, or sadness, or pain, or concern. Padme just didn't seem to care anymore.

Palpatine ceased to draw breath at her unexpected reply. "That's it? That's all you have to say?" He asked, shocked and surprised at her reaction. "You've been asking for that answer for the past hour and that's all you have to say to me? Just – thank you, and then leave? You're just going to leave me with nothing?"

Padme smiled, a subtle yet cynical smile. "I don't know why, dear friend…But when you finally told me what I wanted to hear, I just - realize that it wasn't that important to me anymore." She looked at him for the last time, and turned to walk away.

"What do you mean? What are you saying?" He asked, furrowing his brows and demanding an answer. Before Padme could go any farther, he stepped towards her and gently grabbed her wrist, causing her to stop in her tracks. "Padme, wait!"

She turned around and faced him, her eyes piercing his. "I'm sorry, Chancellor. But as far as I'm concerned, our discussion for tonight is over." The expression on her face was firm and unforgiving. The joyful glow that once inhibited her was gone.

Palpatine looked confused. "Have I done anything wrong? I've finally told you what you wanted to hear, and now you're acting like I've defiled you!"

Her eyes widened. "Because you have. You've wronged me, Palpatine, for keeping it from me for as long as you had." She breathed in and looked him in the eyes. "Twelve years. You kept it from me for twelve long years. That means something, Palpatine. I…I just can't believe it took me this long to realize what it meant."

Palpatine still couldn't understand why she was acting this way. "Realize what? What does what mean? Look, I didn't keep it from you, Padme. I just - I just didn't think it was that important. If the reason why you're angry at me is because of that broken promise, then ---"

Padme looked like she was on the verge of breaking down. "It's not the broken promise, Palpatine. And it's not the reason behind it either." Her voice softened as she looked at him. "It's the fact you never really considered me as a friend. You never did. You never really let me in there." She looked hurt as she placed her hand over his left chest.

He still couldn't understand. What was she saying now? Of course she was her friend. For all he knew, she was more than a friend to him. Why was she saying all this?

"I don't understand." His voice was shaky and unnerved. For once in his life, he admitted that his brilliant mind could not understand. He placed his hands on her shoulders and prompted her to look into his eyes. "Look at me, Padme. I don't understand. Tell me why you're acting this way because I don't understand." The greatest mind the Sith had ever known, and he could not understand her.

Padme clenched her jaw and pressed her lips in a tight line as she looked at him straight in the eyes. She was not going to falter this time. Whatever she was going to say, she wanted her words to dig into his brain and drill into his heart. She wanted him to walk away tonight, with the memories of the words she was about to say tonight.

"You've always been a secretive man, Palpatine…One of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the Galactic Republic." Her voice was calm and collected, but firm and steadfast. "You preferred to keep most of your life a puzzle and no one questioned that because you were a good man who did his job well. I respected that side of you. I respected the fact you were not one to talk about yourself. And believe it or not, that was actually the reason why I thought we had a connection, you and I. Because out of all the people in the galaxy, I seemed to be the only person who could draw you out of your shell. I thought I was the only one who could connect with the soul behind the puzzle. And for the longest time, I actually believed that. I actually thought I've broken through the wall that the great Palpatine had built around himself. I actually thought I've earned your trust. And that – that made me feel special. Because whenever I was with you, I always felt like I wasn't just like everyone else."

Padme smiled sadly and took a moment to study his face. "But I guess I was wrong. Maybe I've been wrong all along. When it took you so long to tell me where you were that night, and when you refused to open up to me before that, it made me realize that – that I've never really truly known you after all."

Palpatine frowned and shook his head from side to side. "No." He whispered. "Padme, don't say that. You know me. You know me more than ---"

But she did not give him a moment to explain. "Please, don't. Just, don't. I've had enough of your words." She tried to push him away, but felt his hold on her arms tighten, leaving her no choice but to stand where she was now.

"For more than a decade you actually had me believing that I was a real friend. That I was someone you trusted. That I was someone you could confide in and share your life with." She could hear her voice aching. "But all of that was just a game to you, wasn't it? I need to know, Palpatine. I've had enough of our charade. I need the truth. Was I just a political tool to you, an instrument to your success? Was I just someone you turned to to pass the time, to fuel your hunger for a meaningful conversation because I seemed to be the only person who could excite your brilliant mind? Other than that, did you ever look at me as a friend? Was I ever a real friend to you, Palpatine? Or was I just a challenge that you had to conquer everyday?"

His hands slid down to her upper arms and he held her there firmly. "Padme, please. Stop this." He pleaded. "Stop it. Why are you saying this?"

Padme gasped as she tried to hold back her tears. "Because whenever I get close to uncovering who you are, you always pull away like you're scared of telling me something. What are you scared of revealing, Palpatine?" She looked deeply into his eyes, hoping to find something there…a hint…a clue…anything.

He swallowed, and looked at her. He kept his hands on her upper arms as he stared at her. Then he slowly pulled away and stepped back. His face wore an expression of sorrow and defeat. "I'm sorry, Padme. I can't." He spoke softly.

He glanced away, unable to bear the sadness in her dark brown eyes. He had betrayed her in the name of his destiny. He let it all come crashing down. Padme was right after all. To him, she was just like everyone else. He had never been brave enough to let her in his life. And for that, she did not deserve him or his love. Whatever friendship they had had been reduced to a lie. Perhaps it truly was supposed to end this way between them. After all, he was not supposed to fall in love with her in the first place.

Padme breathed in and tilted her head up. "Then nothing more needs to be said. I've said my part and you've said yours. Goodbye, Supreme Chancellor." She said, using every ounce of herself to fight the sadness within her. She did not want Palpatine to see her shedding tears for him. He did not deserve such a sight.

Palpatine said nothing at once. He just hopelessly nodded his head and finally spoke. "Goodbye, Padme." And those were his final words to her.

Rain started to fall.

The sound of its droplets hitting solid ground filled the silence that lingered between them as they looked at one another. They were like two chess pieces, a king and a queen, waiting for destiny to move them on to the next square. Perhaps they were waiting for the other to say something more. Nevertheless, their only witness was the drops of rain that clung and trickled on the outer side of the huge glass window beside them. No one would ever know of what truly happened that night or the words that were exchanged. It was going to be their secret, their final promise to one another.

The sound of rain was suddenly overpowered by a booming voice that echoed from the other side of the curtain.

"Attention, everyone!" Bellowed the voice that was amplified by a microphone.

The voice belonged to the host, Sentius Sah'c, who was now standing proud and majestic on the extravagantly decorated stage. A dozen or so cameras hovered around him, recording his actions and taking his pictures.

"First of all, I would like to thank everyone for attending another successful celebration." The crowd before him erupted in a round of applause and some of the men raised their wine glasses in his honor. Sah'c offered them a graciously exaggerated bow.

"But most of all, I would like to offer my personal thanks to my good friend, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, for taking time off his incredibly busy schedule to be with us here today." A huge smile was plastered across his round face as he looked at the crowd, searching for the Chancellor. "Supreme Chancellor Palpatine? Are you there? I would incredibly appreciate it if you can join me up here." He said joyously.

On the outer side of the curtain, Padme nudged her head towards the crowd. "Go. Your 'good friend' is requesting for the Chancellor's presence. And your beloved public awaits you." She found it difficult to look into his eyes, probably because she knew that if she stared at them long enough, he'd find his way back into her heart.

He did not go at once. He stepped towards Padme until he found himself standing right in front of her with barely an inch of space between them. He slowly brought his right hand up to her face, and delicately traced a line from the top of her cheek right down to her chin. He gently tilted her chin up so that she was facing him. Much to his surprise, she did not shy away, nor pull away from him. And when he found her staring into his eyes, he leaned down and softly kissed her on the corner of her lips. The kiss lasted for a second, but when he pulled his lips away, he kept his face close to hers, closer than they've ever been that night, that she could feel his warm breath against her cheek.

"You were the only real thing in my life." He whispered to her.

They exchanged looks for the last time, and then he stepped aside, walked pass her, and out of the curtain into the public that welcomed him with open arms.

Padme found herself standing there, still and motionless after what just happened…after the kiss, after what he had just said to her. It was far too much to take in all at the same time. She didn't know whether she was going to cry or laugh or simply try to understand it. But what was there to understand? It was intense. For a second there, he made her mind swirl in a way she did not expect. Yes…It truly was something she did not expect, especially from Palpatine himself.

She could hear him starting his speech, but that was the least of her concerns now. She breathed in, closed her eyes, and massaged the bridge of her nose. She swallowed hard, and leaned with her back on the glass window beside her.

/ "What did he mean?" / She thought to herself. How could she be the only real thing in his life? It wasn't making any sense…and the kiss.

She immediately shook off the feeling of it. Instead, she thought of the events that occurred that night. She played them in her head, over and over and over again…trying to solve the puzzle…trying to find a clue…but none of them gave her the clear-cut answers she needed. What a night it was indeed, for so many things to happen all at the same time…to have gotten more than she had bargained for…So much more.

She exhaled and let her shoulders slump down in defeat. She leaned her head back against the glass and kept her eyes closed. Perhaps tonight was just a dream and she would wake up soon. Maybe the war was just a nightmare and she would soon find herself back in their hideaway paradise in Naboo, wrapped in the arms of the man she loved more than life itself, Anakin Skywalker.

Then, there was a tap in the window.

Padme almost jumped up in surprise. The last thing she expected was someone or something tapping on the window behind her. She quickly turned around to see who or what it was, and what she saw almost made her heart explode.

On the outer side of the window stood a man…who appeared to be a tall human male. He was wearing a hooded brown robe which was now soaking wet in the rain. Padme could barely see his face through the shadows of his hood, but looking at his nose, his lips, and his chin, she knew who it was in a heart beat.


End file.
